1nF3cTeD
by Mirrorbrine
Summary: Currently Being Rewritten! This version will be deleted within a week, so go check out the new one!
1. Chapter 1: Me and Squishy

**Chapter One: Me... and Squishy**

 **A/N: Hey, everyone! I've been wanting to start posting this story for a long time now, so I'm really excited about this! I don't have much else to say at the moment, so go have fun!**

 **Also, this is literally the third (and final) fix of the chapter; I think it's ok now, and not so annoying.**

 **Note: Not currently accepting OCs, but that may change.**

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Darkness retreated from the overworld as the glorious sun thrust itself over the horizon. Another day had come, and Crafters everywhere thanked their lucky stars that dawn had arrived. The smell of smoke and burning flesh filled the air as undead mobs stupid enough to stay in the light burned to crisps. A few animals emerged from their hiding places, and Crafters began to busy themselves with their daily tasks. They would race past the shrubbery and plant life, not even sparing the beauty around them a second glance. If they had, some of them might have noticed a foot dangling from a large oak tree, the body it belonged to concealed by thick, lush branches.

I turned another page of my book, so absorbed in the story that I paid no mind to what was happening around me. Jiggling my foot up and down, I let it hang over the ground. It was early in the morning, only about seven o'clock, but that was when our world got going. It was either you worked hard, or you died. So everybody who didn't want to die got up and got to work. Me, I didn't have to. I could get anything I needed anytime I needed it.

I rubbed my thumb on the cover of the book, enjoying the feeling of the smooth leather against my finger. I scratched my ear lazily, letting out a yawn. I probably should've slept last night, but I just couldn't put down the book! I was almost at the end of it now, and I planned on finishing it before I left the oak tree. Just then, my stomach growled loudly, and I cringed. Maybe the end of the book could wait till later. Right now, I needed food. I stuffed the book away, sliding out of the tree to land on something soft and... squishy?

"Hm?"

Startled, I glanced down to see a person, a guy, a very squishy guy, apparently, trapped beneath my gray miner's boots. I leapt off and stared at him in surprise. I've got terrible timing, you know. Leaning down, I cautiously prodded him with my finger, hoping I hadn't killed him. Squishy— excellent nickname, I know— groaned. "The heck was that?! A rhinoceros?" I blinked, suddenly feeling awkward. "Uh, no, that was me."

"What, are you obese or something? You weigh a _ton!_ "

I kind of wished I _was_ obese, just to get him back. As it was, I was resisting stepping on him again. He squirmed a bit, sending up bits of white dandelion fluff as he bumped the little plant. I suddenly sneezed, noticing, with some satisfaction, that some snot landed in his hair. Squishy flinched. "Ugh, what was that?!"

"Snot."

" _What?!"_

He began to get to his feet, and as I had no intention of helping, I stepped into some of the shadows leftover from last night and waited for him to go. Eventually, he did, glaring as he went and cursing all the way down the path. Once he disappeared around the corner, I looked around, hoping to find a convenient food source.

A pig chewing some grass over by another tree caught my eye, and I walked over to it. Patting it on the head, I scooped it up, turning to carry it back to my oak tree.

Minutes later, I held a bunch of raw meat in my hand, preparing to cook it. Then, I lit my hand on fire, a perfectly normal thing to do when faced with the dilemma of uncooked meat.

The smell of sizzling bacon filled the air, and I inhaled, sighing happily. An easy breakfast _and_ I got bacon! Once the meat was a crispy, reddish brown color, I extinguished the flames engulfing my hand, ignoring the smoke curling off it. Biting into the crisp, flavorful bacon, I relished the flavor, chewing each bite slowly. I bet you wish you had bacon right now, too, right? I then proceeded to eat the whole pig by myself, savoring every piece just to spite the people on the other side of the fourth wall.

Finishing the meal, I glanced at the sky, deciding that it was probably around eight by now. "What shall I do today?" I mused to myself. The first thing that came to mind was bothering my brother, and the easiest way to do that was via bird mail. Well, that's what I called it, anyway. Making my way over to a rotting log, I gave a shrill whistle, scanning the area for anything moving. A moment later, a little green dragon, about the size of a cat, was racing toward me, and I held still, allowing it to perch on my shoulder. Grinning, I stroked the scaly creature's wrinkly chin, ignoring the pain coming from my shoulder as the dragon's claws dug into the skin there. "Hey, Pine, you wanna give a message to my brother?" I asked softly. The dragon chittered, winding itself down my arm to come to a rest on my lap. I chuckled, pulling out a piece of paper and a charcoal stub.

I frequently bothered my brother with letters, usually just jotting down whatever nonsense was floating around in my head at the moment. Today was no different, and soon I had a large scroll tied around the dragon's legs, and he had to jump a few times before actually becoming airborne.

Messenger dragons could be expensive, but I had plenty of money, enough that I could get pretty much anything I wanted. Most people used birds of prey, but I was partial to the little green and brown dragons you could sometimes spot flying around. They're a lot more intelligent than a dumb pigeon, at least. And faster, too. Maybe my brother would get my message at a really inconvenient moment, and Pine would land on his head again.

Grinning at the thought, I pulled at the brown hair hanging down in front of my eyes. _I should probably get it trimmed_ , I decided. But that could wait. For now, I was content to keep on being me and doing absolutely nothing with my day.

Yawning again, I stretched my body, squirming and extending my limbs until I felt loose and comfortable. Then I got to my feet, looking around. The woods had fallen quiet, and I kind of like the peace the forest always has. _Maybe I should go explore for a while._ I shook my head at the thought, feeling too lazy to actually do something that required such a thing as movement.

With Pine gone, so was my only source of company, and my only means of bothering Steve. He's my brother, by the way, in case you didn't pick up on that. Yeah, I know, ' _Steve, the hero of Minecraft, so amazing, maybe he'll sign my face with a permanent marker, blah, blah, blah.'_ I've heard it all before. Well, he's my brother, and he's a pretty-boy. That's all I have to say about him.

Well, if Steve is my brother, who does that leave, of the two of us? Yeah, surprise, I'm Herobrine. It's a pleasure _not_ to meet you.

I rolled my white eyes, finally deciding to stop beating up that poor fourth wall and actually do something with my day. So what do I do? Wisely continue doing nothing with my day. Which pretty much entailed of me drawing a couple of deer in a sketchbook for two hours until I got bored.

Sliding the book and charcoal into the bag at my side, I stretched. Then, shaking the hair out of my eyes again, I got to my feet. "Hmm." I had, by far, passed the time limit I set for myself for time spent doing nothing, and, while I loved doing that, the food I'd eaten earlier was finally filling me with energy, giving me the will to actually get up and move around. There were plenty of activities just waiting for me to choose them, but I didn't really know what I felt like doing. Ever get that feeling? I felt like I had just done everything recently. Nothing really sounded exciting. Well... maybe I could go bother the village a few chunks away from here. Nothing serious, just a bit of a scare for one or two citizens. Maybe a 'sighting' or something.

I took my time getting there, observing the wildlife around me. Finally, I reached a crunchy gravel path instead of the soft, grassy ones I was accustomed to. Casually, I turned invisible and lifted off the ground. Hovering over the little village, I watched the unsuspecting Crafters go about their day. After a moment, I selected my victim— er, target— and gently floated over to a guy who seemed absorbed in staring at a blank piece of yellowed paper. _People these days are so weird._ I drifted down in front of his face, flipping myself upside-down. Then, I turned visible. Making my expression as bored as Herobrine-ly possible, I uttered a single word. One of my favorite words, in fact. "Boo." As quickly as I had appeared, I vanished again.

The resulting scream quickly got everyone's attention as they raced to see what happened. The guy I had startled was blubbering and cowering in fear. The other villagers all gathered around him, staring at the guy expectantly as they waited for an explanation. "H-He-He-Hero—!" A pretty girl with black hair looked at the boy in concern. "What is it, Mac?"

"Hero-h-he—!"

"Come on, spit it out! What?"

" _HEROBRINE!"_

That made everyone either panic or skeptical. Everyone was talking all at once, mostly arguing about the issue of me.

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

"Herobrine isn't real! Stop being such a baby, George!"

"EVERYBODY RUN!"

"SAVE YOURSELVES!"

"Guys, he's just a joke that somebody made up to scare little kids."

 _Excuse me?_ Saying I'm not real is fine, but a _joke?!_

 _I'll show them_.

So I popped into existence right in their midst, arms crossed tightly. "That's a bit rude, don't you think?"

And then there was chaos.

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 **A/N: Ok, so I know there may have been a bit of confusion with this first chapter, what with me rewriting it three times and all, but I'm actually happy with the results this time. More story, less rambling. Sorry, and as an apology to you readers for being so confusing, I'll post the second chapter tomorrow. It's pretty much finished, anyway. So, sorry 'bout that, hopefully it won't happen again (Hey, no promises) and I can't wait 'til tomorrow. So thanks for dealing with the first chapter, guys!**

 **-Mirror**


	2. Chapter 2:The Art of Herbalism

**Chapter 2: The Art of Herbalism**

 **A/N: Here's the second chapter, as promised! I actually had to go through quite a bit of trouble to post this! Read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **~Ellie~**

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"Hey, Trixie, do you remember what dragon blossoms are supposed to look like?" I asked my friend, thumbing through a book full of pictures of flowers and plants. Trixie looked up from the chest she was rummaging through. Shaking her mane of wild red hair, she shrugged. "No clue. I'm not the herbalist here." I sighed, scratching the back of my head. "Apparently, the dragon blossom looks really similar to the poisonous snapper, so I'd be taking a risk if I— aha!"

I'd found the page with the right plant on it, and I began scrutinizing the flowers on the ground before me as Trixie returned to digging through the chest. "Honestly, Ellie," she groaned. "You don't even know your own plants and you call yourself a healer?"

I huffed. "I'd like to see you do any better," I retorted. She rolled her eyes. "I _do_ do better. At the job I'm _supposed_ to do."

"And what is that, exactly?"

"Getting rich. Duh."

I snorted, turning my gaze to the sky. Trixie and I had come upon some castle ruins an hour ago, and we'd found a lot of cool things during our exploration. Trixie found her prized gems and gold, while I was busy gathering something much more important: herbs and plants to add to my collection at the apothecary. I considered myself an herbalist and brewer, while Trixie fancied herself to be a daring explorer. The only daring _I'd_ ever seen her do was poke her boyfriend in the eye while he was sleeping, which was entertaining, to say the least.

"Hey, Trix, we've been here a while, and sunset's in two hours. I say we head home."

"But we haven't even got to the good stuff yet!"

"Really? Ten bars of solid gold, some silver, three whole emeralds and two _actual diamonds_ aren't enough for you?!"

"Uh... is the correct answer ' _no?'"_

"No! Let's just go back! I'm tired of getting caught in the dark! We can always come back another day!"

Trixie frowned, blowing a strand of curly hair out of her face. "Fine." I sighed in relief, turning to look for our horses. There they were, still tethered to a fence post we'd found. Making my way over to the animals, I smiled at Parsley, my Appaloosa. "Good boy," I soothed. Parsley snorted and stamped his feet, skittishly eyeing the bag resting against my hip. "Nothing poisonous this time, I swear!"

Trixie laughed as she mounted her sleek black Arabian with ease.

"What happened last time, Ellie?"

"I might've accidentally given him horse hives."

Seeing the look on Trixie's face, I hastily added, "I didn't know those even existed, for the record." Trixie shook her head, laughing.

"Creepers and phantoms, girl, you're going to end up killing somebody."

I scratched my head sheepishly. "Well, let's get going." Ignoring Parsley's unease, I hopped on his back, digging my heels into his side. Off we went, galloping through forests and over rivers.

It was only a half hour before sunset by the time we got back to Evercry, the city in which we both lived. When we came to the section of road where we parted ways, I waved my goodbye to my friend.

"See you tomorrow, Trix!"

"Later, Ellie. Don't get eaten by a three-legged boar!"

Shaking my head, I urged Parsley on, determined to make it home by nightfall. Trixie always had such bizarre sayings and phrases for every occasion. She was entertaining to be around, to say the least. Parsley slowed to a stop, pulling me out of my thoughts. We were home, and I smiled at the sight of the humble building. I made it myself, way back when Evercry was just a tiny little village run by the few citizens who lived there. Nowadays, you wouldn't be able to tell it was the same village. It had expanded to nearly the size of a city within but seven years, and now it bustled with traders and merchants, making it one of the wealthiest cities in Warrendale.

While most of the original villagers had updated their homes to large, fancy mansions, I opted to keep mine the way it was. I'd built it as soon as I'd laid eyes on the patch of land it sat on, spending hours of work and pain creating its wooden walls. Smiling, I patted the doorframe of the house, reminiscing about the good times.

Then Parsley blew snot in my hair, reminding me that he wanted dinner. "Thanks, Parsley."

Leading him to the small stable I had built back when I'd first found him, I began mixing him his dinner, which consisted mostly of oats and molasses. "Here you go." Then I lead him into his stall, and he nickered as I rubbed him down, cleaning him of sweat and foam. Leaving a blanket on his back to help with the cold, I gave him a last pat and left the stable, making my way to the house.

I live alone, with the exception of Hunter, my wolf, and my baby creeper, Sizzle. Obviously having a creeper around is dangerous, but he can't even explode, and he was half dead when I found him. He'd been caught in a flash flood that came through here only two months ago, and his mother had been killed by a Crafter. I took pity on the little guy, so I healed him and took him in. Now he's just as loyal as Parsley and Hunter, and it's nice to have the extra company.

Normally, I work on my potions once the sun sets and the two animals keep watch for threats. Tonight was no different, and I stayed up until at least three, organizing and studying plants I had collected during my excursion with Trixie. When I finally went to bed, it was to a thunderstorm that shook the house, making me drowsily wonder if whoever's up there was angry about something.

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§ § § Ꮘ § § §

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"Hey, have you heard about Seacrest?" My friend Peter suddenly spoke up, causing me to look up from my work. I was currently mashing a mixture of herbs in a clay pot, preparing it to make into a soothing cream.

"What?"

Peter's light blue eyes widened, and he sat up straighter in his seat, ready to begin his story. "So Seacrest is this really important city in Prismine, right? The one that gets the crystals and exports all the fish and stuff." I nodded my head in recognition. "Well, not even a week ago, they had a really important shipment due to come to their docks, and they never went out to meet it. So that's kind of weird, right?"

"Yeah?"

"It gets weirder. They had this peace meeting two days ago with Glister and the representative, who lives in Prismine, didn't even go! Who doesn't go to an extremely important, official meeting to protect their country?"

I frowned. "That _is_ weird." Peter nodded. "They haven't been responding to outside contacts, and their gates are closed to visitors! Rumors say Prismine is gathering an army in secret there, and they're going to attack us when we least expect it."

I shook my head. "Rumors are just that: rumors. It doesn't mean anything. They're most likely dealing with something economical. Maybe some of the water was bad and they all got sick."

Peter looked at me skeptically. "The whole city?"

I shrugged, not knowing what else could cause it. "It's weird, that's for sure." I returned to grinding the herbs, making it into a thick, rich-smelling paste. "Hey, Pete, can you get that glass jar for me?"

Peter grabbed the requested item, handing it to me. "Whatcha making?"

"Burn cream."

My apothecary was usually a popular place, as I was one of the few healers who actually knew what I was doing, but business was slow today. Big and open, the apothecary was well ventilated, with huge, arched, wide open windows that let the air flow in and out of the room. The building was lit almost entirely with natural light, and I always left the two front doors open. Plants in pots hung from the ceiling everywhere, and a fresh, earthy smell always filled the air. I love the place.

Frequently, my friends would come and hang out there when they had no work to do. Heck, I spent time there even when _I_ didn't have work to do. Peter came more often than everyone else, as he was a fast worker and always woke up early to get his farming done. "So, anything else new?" I questioned. The guy was always the first to tell about what was going on, share the latest stories and rumors, and, in general, inform me about things. Peter shook his head. "Not really, though I heard that Mac got attacked by... wait for it... _Herobrine._ "

I laughed. "Herobrine? No offense, but I think he's been imagining things again."

Mac, a friend of ours who lived in a smaller village about a day's ride from here, was a nervous kind of guy, always jumping to conclusions and panicking over nothing. Last month, he said he saw the Wither, but it turned out to be a runaway scarecrow being blown around by a storm. Then just last week, he told us he thought he was dying by dragon pox when he just had a bug bite.

It was hard to trust someone like that, and though we all loved him, we didn't really take his words seriously. Shaking my head, I began checking up on the vibrantly colored dragon blossom. "Has he told you why he thinks this?" Peter shook his head. "I thought we should ask him together. It'd be nice, you know, to go riding again. I miss when we did that more often."

I frowned, ignoring the voice in my head suggesting that that was an excellent idea. "I suppose," I replied. Peter's expression brightened. "Great! Let's do it today! Business is slow right now, and no one's gonna miss you!"

I sighed. "I wasn't finished. Pete, I'm a healer. That's not the sort of job you can just take off from. People depend on me to take care of them, and besides, I would have to find someone to water my plants, and we both know what would happen if Trixie did it." Peter hid a grin. Last year, I had decided to go on a vacation, and Trixie volunteered to take care of the plants. I'd returned to find the apothecary flooded.

"Yeah... Trixie's not the one for the job." Peter frowned. "When can we go? It's not that far."

"It's a three day trip, and I don't have time for that sort of thing right now."

"Please?"

"Come back at new moon."

The week the new moon occurred on was the time I'd chosen to take the opportunity to go get supplies and things I needed to run the apothecary. I knew full well it wasn't for another three weeks, and so did he. Peter flopped on one of the five chairs I had placed around the room, his blond hair falling down in his face. "Why are you being difficult?"

"Why are _you_ being difficult?!"

"Because I'm bored."

"Then go be bored somewhere else."

"I didn't mean it like that!"

I scowled at him, swishing my long brown hair over my shoulder. "Then stop being a pest." Peter stuck his tongue out at me, and I resisted flinging some potting soil at him. Then he laughed, and my expression lightened. "You look so funny when you're mad."

Immediately, the scowl was back, and he just laughed harder. Scooping my hand into a pot, I flung the dirt at him, and he leapt up, laughing and protesting at the same time. Then I chased him out of my shop, chucking dirt at the guy the whole way. "Get out!"

He simply laughed and ran away, promising he'd be back come dinner time. Once he was gone, I put a dirty hand on my hip, leaning against the doorframe. Peter could be so infuriating sometimes, but he made me laugh, too. I returned to my counter, sweeping it clean of leaves and bits of mashed plant. Then I pulled out another bowl, ready to fix yet another remedy for when someone hurt themselves.

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§ § § Ꮘ § § §

* * *

That night, Peter, Trixie and I all sat around a table outside Trixie's home, picking at the food on our plates. Peter, of course, was wolfing it all down, but I wasn't as hungry, content to just sit and watch my friends. Trixie was picking her teeth with a little wooden splinter, and after a minute, she flicked it away.

"You guys hear about Mac?"

"Yes," we responded in unison.

"How much you wanna bet two fireflies scared him?"

I shrugged. "You know, it could've been a guy just rolling his eyes really dramatically as he walked by. With Mac, literally anything is a threat."

"True enough."

Peter laughed. "I feel so bad for the guy, honestly. He doesn't know the difference between a creeper and some tall grass."

"Be nice," I scolded. Peter shrugged, spreading his hands apart. "Hey, just being honest." Trixie shook her head reprovingly.

"You shouldn't say that sort of thing. You never know what happened to make him like that."

"What, you think he was traumatized?"

"Maybe."

"Let's ask him."

"Peter!"

"What? I'm just saying, if we want to find out so badly, then why don't we ask?"

Trixie stood from the table. "Enough about that, ok?" Silently, I agreed with her. I just wanted to go home and do nothing tonight. Absolutely nothing. Peter scoffed, finishing off his food. "Sheesh. I wasn't trying to ruffle your feathers."

I got to my feet, too. "Tonight's been nice, but I want to go home."

"Aw, you guys are abandoning me?!" Peter whined. I spread my hands. "I'm tired. I didn't sleep much, ok?"

Despite Peter's protests, I began walking home, as it was only five minutes from here. "Tomorrow, Pete," I called over my shoulder, ignoring the pouty face he was giving me.

When I got home, I noticed that the door cracked open, as if it hadn't caught the last time I shut it. Walking up to the door, I eased it open, then narrowed my green eyes at the muddy bootprints on the floor. Someone came in my house! How dare they! _What if they're still here?_ I slipped off my shoes, sliding into the house on my bare feet. Noiselessly, I grabbed a dagger resting on a shelf near the door, stalking deeper into the house. It was wreck; my couch was squashed and muddy, and the chests full of my possessions were turned over, contents strewn about. Rage filled me at the carelessness of the intruder, and I kept my eyes peeled and my ears perked for any sign of him. I searched the house top to bottom, but I never found anyone, luckily for them. Whoever it was was long gone. I ended up finding Hunter and Sizzle in the basement, and they both seemed unharmed, except for a large bruise on Hunter's rib cage. He was most likely kicked out of the way when he tried to defend my stuff, but it could've been worse. As I began going through the stuff flung across the floor, my bewilderment grew. Nothing was missing. Every gem was accounted for, and every knickknack was there. It's like someone just came in, made themselves at home, and left. The only thing I found missing was a large portion of my food, but it wasn't enough to be a huge concern. "What in the world?"

Once I finished fixing the damage done to my house, I went upstairs, crawling into my bed. A thought occurred to me. _What if they come back?_

I ran back downstairs, locked my door with all five locks, grabbed my pets, and ran back upstairs, barricading myself in my room. That night, I stayed up late for a different reason than normal, my tired eyes roving the window, searching for anyone making their way up to my house. Nobody came, and eventually, I fell asleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Whoa, creepy! What sort of jerk would do such a thing?! Certainly not a certain someone wearing big, muddy, gray miner boots! XD**

 **Anyway, hope this chapter was better!**

 **Have a great day, y'all, and remember to not bite a zombie's big toe!**

 **-Mirror**


	3. Chapter 3: Dear Journal

**Chapter 3: Dear Journal**

* * *

 **A/N: Woo, boy, we're gonna have some fun with this one!**

 **Haha, I feel like I got entirely too much enjoyment out of writing this, especially considering.**

 **I finally decided to man up and write a long chapter, guys! I think this one is at least three times as long as the last one!**

 **Also, apparently I have nothing better to do with my life than write books all day.**

* * *

-Herobrine-

* * *

 _Ssssssssss—_

"Outta my way."

I shoved the threatening creeper aside, ignoring the dangerous hissing emanating from the thing. I was in no mood to horse around, as I was very busy trying to figure something out. _How do you set TNT off with no flint and steel?_ It was in the middle of the night, and I'd been poking around the woods like I usually did when I'd discovered a couple of diamonds wedged beneath a huge, solid slab of rock that jutted out from a hill. Excited, I'd quickly pulled out some TNT I had on me, since I was missing my diamond pick. I soon realized that I was missing my flint and steel, too, so now I was trying to figure out how set the dang thing off. I could always just light my hand on fire and then light the fuse, but I would have to be far too close to the explosion for my comfort level.

Glaring at the TNT wedged into the base of the rock, I began tapping my foot rapidly, a tic I have that's set off by irritation or nervousness. Finding random, rare artifacts hidden in the woods wasn't that uncommon, as selfish Crafters who didn't like sharing things often hid their stuff here until they could retrieve it without their friends knowing. I usually got to their stuff before they did, as I have an uncanny knack for finding valuable things.

 _If only I had something to set off a reaction._ Maybe if I got another stick of dynamite and set _that_ one off, then it could set the others off! Wait, no, that would present the same problem. What if I got a Blaze and made it shoot the TNT? No, that wouldn't work either, seeing as there isn't a Nether portal anywhere near here. Hands on my hips, I looked around, trying to come up with an idea that could work.

 _BOOM!_

An explosion sounded from directly behind me, and I flinched, looking around for the source of the noise. A few blocks away, a huge smoking crater had suddenly appeared. Standing at the edge were a few very surprised skeletons and zombies, all charred black on their front halves. I shook my head. A creeper had probably lost its temper with them and exploded. Creepers had such bad tempers, always blowing up over silly little things.

Wait. _Blowing up?!_ That's it! "Yes!" Eagerly, I looked around for another creeper, scanning the woods for the mottled green Mobs. None were in sight, and I wondered where that creeper who'd been in my way went to. _He must've been the one who just blew up, darn it._ I gave a quick glance at the diamonds, pointing at them. "I'll be right back. Stay there."

Off I went in search of a creeper. Oddly enough, they all seemed to be missing. _What, is it a creeper holiday or something?_ I was becoming more and more frustrated, unable to see a single one of the green Mobs. I almost burst into flames out of irritation, but then I remembered that I was in the middle of the woods. "Why do I have the worst luck?!"

I was being a bit dramatic, I know, but all I wanted was a couple of blue shiny things! Was that too much to ask? Apparently, it was, seeing as every means of getting said blue shinies was absent.

A twig cracked, jerking me out of my thoughts. Glancing down at a bush from which the sound came, I watched the leaves rustle violently as I waited, impatiently, for whatever was inside to come out. Something tiny, green, and oh, so cute popped out, and I blinked. "A baby creeper?!"

Well, that didn't get us anywhere. Babies couldn't explode until they shed their protective baby fur, exposing the mottled scales underneath. The baby squeaked, waddling up to me. "Hi, little guy," I greeted. The creeper gently head butted my leg, and I reached down to scratch its soft head. It squealed happily, leaning into the palm of my hand. I smiled, scooping the creeper up.

"Sizzle!" A far-off voice suddenly called. The creeper jerked its head up, looking towards where the voice had come from. It squirmed, straining its little body in the same direction. "SIZZLE! Where are you?! Come back!" The voice pleaded. The creeper began squeaking, making little sputtering sounds as it tried to free itself from me. "What are you doing?!" I murmured in confusion. Actually, the creeper's behavior was reminding me of a dog trying to return to its owner, but that didn't make any sense! Creepers were raised to hate Crafters and the destruction they brought on the natural world. This creeper couldn't be trying to go to the voice... could it?

"Sizzle, please come back!"

The creeper struggled all the harder, and I tightened my grip, keeping it from falling to the forest floor.

"...Sizzle?" I tried, curious as to what would happen. The creeper suddenly turned and licked my face, squeaking all the while. I blinked. The creeper's name was Sizzle? _What the heck?_ He must have been kidnapped by that filthy Crafter and not know any better than to go along with it. There was no other explanation. I scowled darkly at the realization. Poor little guy... I backed away from the voice, ignoring 'Sizzle's' protests.

Stuffing the little creature into a large tree hollow, I left the area, intending to show that Crafter how I felt about mobnappers. It was quite easy to find them, as they were loudly calling the creeper's name and making a whole lot of noise. _Idiot._

I peeked around a tree, getting my first look at the Crafter. It was a teenage girl, around my physical age, with brown hair, a dark teal sweatshirt, and khaki pants. She was scuffing her brown rider's boots all over everything, including the very oak tree I'd sat in yesterday. The area looked kind of battered, as if she'd been purposely hitting things to make more noise. Probably to attract the creeper... Suddenly, she paused, bending down to scoop something up from amongst the green grass. My notebook. It must've fallen out of my bag when I left the clearing. Carelessly, she began flipping through it, crumpling the pages and leaving dirty smudges on some of them.

I glared, angry now for a different reason. How dare she! Who did she think she was, going through my stuff like that?! Even if she didn't know whose it was, she still shouldn't go through it! She had no excuse! Not to mention, this girl was _wrecking_ my woods! Worse than that, she was wrecking my _tree!_ I gripped the tree I hid behind, making up my mind. This Crafter was going to get a taste of what happened when you touched my stuff.

Creeping up behind her, I stayed silent. Then I blew out her single, dimly glowing torch, and she was left in the darkness. Well, she would've been, if it weren't for my eyes. Startled, the girl stiffened, looking at her torch in alarm. "S-Sizzle...?" She seemed afraid to turn around, _as she should be,_ I thought furiously.

She slowly turned her body, her eyes widening as she saw my face.

* * *

~Ellie~

* * *

I was just looking for Sizzle, my poor sweet baby, when I first felt a chill run up my spine. Then, my back suddenly felt freezing, as if I had backed up against a glacier. Abruptly, my torch went out, and a puff of air hit the back of my neck. I froze. The air hit me again, and again, as if someone was breathing down my neck. "S-Sizzle...?" I asked hopefully, even though I already knew it wasn't him. I was scared, scared enough that I didn't even want to turn around. Then again, I also wanted to know who was there. Slowly, very slowly, I turned around.

And then I was looking up into cold, empty eyes glowing a harsh white, and I was nose to freezing cold nose with a legendary phantom. _By the Wither, he's real..._

For a moment, nothing happened. I refused to move, worried that if I did, he would attack, like a predator giving chase to the terrified prey. He just stared at me, his eyes filled with an unexplained fury. What? What had I done?

I studied his face for anything to indicate what he could be thinking, but it was like the light coming from his eyes lit everything but his own skin. I couldn't make out any other features except the outline of his nose and jawline. He was like a living shadow. A very angry one, too. His eyes flicked down to the book I held at my side, the one I had found in the dirt just a minute ago. Did he want it? It was just filled with little doodles and notes I couldn't read in the dark, so I couldn't see what was so special about it.

Slowly, I stepped back, moving my hand up to show him the book. "Do you want this?" I stated the question carefully, as if asking a starving lion if it was hungry right now. Muscles tensed and ready to spring into action if he made a move towards me, I waited for him to respond. He simply grit his teeth, anger rolling off him in waves. _Sizzle, where are you?!_ I thought desperately. I couldn't leave the woods without him, especially not with a demon prowling around. As of right now, I was beginning to doubt I even _would_ be leaving the woods.

Almost unwillingly, I extended my hand, offering the book to the ghost. He just kept staring at me, not moving an inch. For some reason, the lack of movement terrified me more than if he actually did something, and I locked my legs, willing them not to move.

The tension built, and I began to shake from fear. Then, he sprang. I almost missed it, he moved so fast. One second, he was standing there, and the next, he'd lunged, and my legs had already started moving without me telling them to. He missed me, barely, but that was all I needed. I took off like a bullet, tearing through the woods at a million miles per hour, yelling for help at the top of my lungs. The phantom made no noise as he gave chase, which panicked me all the more. I felt like a fat, noisy pigeon trying to outfly a cat. Worse, the cat could fly, too.

I weaved and dodged branches, trunks, and undergrowth, willing him to crash into something. He didn't, so I kept running. I glanced back behind me to see how far behind he was, and the sight of him only a few blocks away spurred me on faster. My legs felt like rubber, and I gasped for air as I forced myself to keep running. Thinking to throw him off, I darted behind the edge of a huge rock, and suddenly, I was cornered. I'd run all the way to a cliff that was but a couple miles from the village, and now I had no way to escape. It corralled me in with nowhere to go but backwards. Once he realized this, he slowed his pace, taking his time as he made his way towards me. Then, to my horror, he drew a diamond sword from a scabbard at his hip, the blade glinting sinisterly in the moonlight.

 _I'm going to die,_ I realized. I began furiously digging around in my bag, feeling for something, _anything,_ that could save me. A scuffle interrupted my frantic search, and I looked up to see him standing only a block in front of me, not even bothering to block an escape. His sword did that for him, its threatening edge angled dangerously towards me. He stepped forward, and I yelped.

"Wait," I cried.

He paused, coldly raising an eyebrow that I could just barely make out. "If... if you're going to kill me, at least tell me if you've seen Sizzle?"

Of course someone like him wouldn't give an iron nugget about a silly creeper, but I needed to stall for time. Even now, my fingers groped at the inside of my bag, feeling for something as the demon stared at me, unmoved. _This isn't going to work,_ I panicked. "Please?"

He considered for a moment, rubbing his thumb along the hilt of his sword. When he spoke, it startled me. I had begun to think he didn't have a voice. " _The creeper?"_ His voice was dark and silky, free of emotion and cold as ice. It was what death's voice would sound like, if it had one. Ignoring the chills racing up and down my spine, I nodded my head. The phantom's gaze hardened.

" _I killed it."_

" _WHAT?!"_

 _HE DID WHAT?!_ Instead of sorrow, rage filled me from the bottom to the top. Why would he do something like that?! Sizzle was innocent! The demon chuckled cruelly at my expression. " _Yeah, you should've heard it scream. It was hilarious."_ Without even thinking about it, I stepped forward, bringing the hand holding the book up and slapping him with it. I hit him so hard his head jerked to the side, and I quickly recoiled. For a moment, he just sat there, stunned, and in that same moment, I found what I needed.

He slowly turned his head back towards me, his eyes practically slits as he seethed with anger. " _You—"_

He didn't even get that far. I whipped my hand out of my bag, chucking a glass bottle at his face as hard as I could. The contents inside it flared upon impact, and I looked away as an intensely bright light lit the area like lightning, the result of a splashable blinding concoction I'd invented. The will to live was fueling me now, along with the pain and anger that came with hearing of Sizzle's death. I heard him yelp in surprise, accompanied by the dull thud of his sword dropping into the dirt. Angrily, he began stumbling around, feeling for where I had gone to. _He's going to get it now._ With his ability to see gone, so was a decent portion of my fear. Quietly, I crept up behind him, mentally and physically preparing myself for what I was about to do. Then I leapt onto his back and began ripping out his hair. "THIS IS FOR SIZZLE!" I roared. I knew that if I stopped attacking and tried to run, I would lose the upper hand and be killed for sure. So I did what I could to at least take vengeance on him while I was still able.

He was trying to get me off, yelling at me the whole time, but I refused to let go, panic fueling my strength. Then, keeping a tight grip on his hair, I began steering him towards the cliff, knowing he wouldn't be able to see where he was going. Shrubs and trees stopped growing and gave way to red, sandy dirt about twenty feet away from the cliff, so there was nothing for him to trip on.

 _Thump!_

" _OW!"_

He almost fell over, so I helped him get back on his feet by shoving him towards the cliff again.

 _Thump!_

" _STOP THAT!"_

He scrabbled at me again, and I rapped the book, which I still clutched in one hand, down on his fingers. Then I resumed steering him into the cliff. " _RELEASE ME, YOU LITTLE DEMON!"_

"No!" I whacked him on the head with the book, feeling a bit like a sinister schoolteacher disciplining a naughty student. Then I looked over his head, suddenly realizing we had somehow gotten turned around and were about to crash into a tree really, really hard. So I let go.

 _THUD!_

My attacker— if he can still be called that— slumped to the ground, angrily muttering slurred words as he looked around for a moment. The concoction had apparently worn off, and he made eye contact with me for a split second. Then he got back to his feet, and I squeaked. I had to take action or die. Remembering something I had read in a book once, I sped towards him, screaming at the top of my lungs. The tactic apparently worked, as he threw himself out of my way in alarm. I was anticipating this, (kind of,) so I veered towards him, leaping onto him and digging my elbow into his gut. Wheezing in surprise, he grabbed at me, catching a tangled strand of my hair and pulling me to the floor. He began to get up, balling up a fist to swing at me.

 _I DON'T WANT TO DIE!_

I kicked out at him as hard as I could, adrenaline fueling the strength of the blow, and suddenly, he stiffened. For a moment, I looked at him in confusion, only to realize what I'd done. His eyes filled with pain, and I suddenly felt very, very bad for him. "Oh. Sorry."

He keeled over, holding the same position the whole time. After that, he didn't move, and I stood up. I toed at his hair, and he simply scrunched his eyes shut, slowly letting out all the air he had in his lungs.

 _Squeak!_

I looked up in surprise, only to see Sizzle, my precious baby, pop out of the underbrush surrounding the cliff. "SIZZLE?!"

I ran to him, and the little creeper leapt into my arms. I laughed happily, stroking the sweetie's head. "I thought he killed you!"

Upon saying that, I glanced over at him. He still hadn't moved, except to scrunch up into a tight ball. "Again, really sorry," I apologized, rather unsure of exactly why I was apologizing. I turned to leave, then paused. Flipping my hair as I glanced back at him again, I smiled.

"You shouldn't have lied to me," I called sweetly, leaving him defeated and confused as I skipped away, cooing to Sizzle as I made my way home.

* * *

§ § § Ꮘ § § §

* * *

"You're crazy."

"No, I am not! Herobrine really did attack me! He was going to kill me, and he said he killed Sizzle!"

"Then how are you stroking Sizzle _at this very moment?!"_

"He lied, I guess."

"Why would he lie?"

"I don't know! He seems to think causing grief and pain is his job! Maybe he was just trying to hurt me!"

"Yeah? I think you're bonkers. You spend too much time in this shop, and now you're the crazy herb lady!"

I scowled at Peter, frustrated. He refused to believe me no matter how many details I told him, and I was at my wit's end trying to get him to believe me. "I am not," I huffed. Then my eyes widened. "Wait, I still have some of his hair!" When I returned home last night, I'd found tufts of brown hair clinging to my sweaty palms. I had jarred the stuff, figuring that if he had so many magical properties, his hair must have some, too.

Proudly, I showed Peter the jar, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. "That looks like _your_ hair."

"Well, it's a little long, but—"

"Forget it. You can't trick me into thinking he's real. I grew up a long time ago."

"But it really happened! I swear! Look, see all these scratches and bruises?"

I pulled up my pant leg, revealing a long scratch and multiple purple splotches where I'd crashed through the underbrush to get away from Herobrine. Unimpressed, Peter opened his mouth to protest, and then I suddenly remembered it. The ultimate evidence. With an air of triumph, I dug around underneath the counter, finally pulling out a very battered notebook. "See?!" I exclaimed proudly. Peter's mouth dropped open, and he quickly masked his surprise with skepticism. "Alright, so say it really did happen. How'd you escape?" He challenged. I winced. "Well, I kicked him."

"Kicked him?! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Like, I _kick_ -kicked him. Hard."

I looked at Pete meaningfully, and after a moment, his eyes widened in understanding. " _Oh_. Ouch."

I nodded. "He didn't even move after that, so I just... walked away."

Peter cringed. "I feel his pain. Remember the time I snuck up on you, and you were so startled you—"

"Hey, I didn't know it was you! You shouldn't sneak up on people like that, anyway. You deserved it," I defended. Peter shook his head, an expression of pain on his face. "Sometimes, I get phantom pains."

"Thanks for sharing."

I set Sizzle down, and the cutie scampered off, most likely looking for Hunter. "So do you believe me?"

Peter shrugged. "I guess. For now." I sighed in relief. "I'll take it."

Brushing my lap off, I put the notebook away again, wishing I could crack it open and read it now. Herobrine had wanted that notebook for a reason, and I was going to find out. Peter cocked his head at me. "Aren't you scared he's gonna come back and get you?"

I shrugged, trying in vain to brush aside the troubling thought. As soon as I'd gotten out of earshot of the demon, I'd dropped the confident facade I had put on and sprinted all the way home to hide in a secret room I had in my basement. "Of course I am, but what am I going to do about it? Besides, I have a plan." In answer to Peter's questioning look, I grinned wickedly. "The second I see any evidence of him, I'm laying on the floor near my door. Then, when he comes in, I'll be at the perfect angle to start kicking at him again! And I will! As hard as I can!"

" _Ellie!"_

"What?! He's evil!"

"You can't just go around saying that kind of thing to a guy! I didn't need to know that you plan for that kind of thing!"

"Well, what else do you want me to do? Tell him he can have a cookie if he leaves me alone? Because that's stupid."

"I'm not saying your plan is stupid, even though it kind of is; I'm just saying that you should be more sensitive!"

"You're _too_ sensitive, so you would know."

Peter scowled at me, and I look at his scrunched little face and giggled. "That's it." He got up and turned for the doors, and I sighed. "Come on, Pete, I was just teasing you!"

He left, slamming a door shut behind him. Then he came back and slammed the other one. _Well, that went smoothly._ Honestly, I was kind of glad he was gone, because now I could check out the notebook. I'd been eager to look at it all morning, but I didn't want to do it with Peter around. Who knows, maybe looking at it is what got me in such big trouble. With him absent, I was free to snoop without worry.

Pulling the little book back out, I flipped it open to the first page. There was a short entry there, and, though the writing was sloppy and smudged, I could read it now that there was plenty of light outside.

* * *

 _Dear Journal,_

 _I feel like an idiot for writing in this, but I'm bored, and besides, it wouldn't hurt to have something to remind me of what's happened. I try not to forget, because if I do, I could forget myself. They led another hunt today. They almost caught me this time. If they had, I don't know what I would've done. I don't know how to convince them I'm telling the truth. I'm tired of living like this. I just want everything to go back to normal. Also, my cat tried to eat my hair today. He choked and threw up on my head._

 _B._

* * *

I blinked at the entry. _A journal? Whose?_ Not to mention the strangeness of the paragraph itself. ' _Hunt' must be a code word for something,_ I decided. Curiously, I turned the page, finding a simple charcoal sketch of a cat. The one who puked, maybe? I flipped through a few more drawings, all charcoal images of everyday things. Then I found another page with writing.

* * *

 _Dear Journal,_

 _I hate my brother. He came into my house without permission and he said I looked like a bum. I told him he looked like ugliness. It's true, anyway._

 _B._

* * *

 _Lovely._ I laughed, remembering many times me and my two sisters had had similar interactions. They're all long gone now, spread out somewhere in the five kingdoms, but when we lived together, we had good times. ...Or not. The next page had a rather goofy looking sketch of a guy, who I assumed to be the journal owner's brother. I snickered some more at the image. After that, more drawings. I searched for more entries, eager to read what was next.

* * *

 _Dear Journal._

 _I met an angel today. She's the most beautiful person in the world, and I love her. I love her so much I want to kiss her, but she doesn't even know me. I want to ask her out, but I don't know how to do it. For once, I'm afraid. Maybe I'll try giving her a note and flowers. I hope she likes me back._

 _B._

* * *

Then there was a detailed picture of a beautiful woman, the whole drawing encircled by a heart shape. Suddenly, I felt rather uncomfortable, questioning the ok-ness of going through the book. Maybe I shouldn't be reading somebody else's journal. After all, this was private property of someone! What if they were looking for it now? I started to close the book, pausing midway. Maybe I could find some info about who it belonged to by going through it! Then I shook my head. I was just giving myself an excuse to keep reading, and I knew it. _I'll just put it in the city lost-and-found._ Glancing around, I checked for customers or patients. There was nobody who needed my help at the moment, so I decided to just drop it off now. That way, if Herobrine really did come looking for it, I could tell him I didn't have it anymore. Besides, it couldn't hurt to take my lunch break in the city. After leaving an explanatory note on the apothecary's doors, I left, making for home, as it was only two minutes away by walking distance. As I strolled along, I couldn't help but wonder why Herobrine had seemed so upset about it. It just seemed like an ordinary journal.

Once I reached the barn, I saddled Parsley up and mounted him. He whinnied, excited to finally get some exercise. "Alright, let's hurry, buddy. If we're quick, maybe we can get back before anyone else shows up."

Parsley took off, stretching his long, boney legs in front of him. I grinned, wind whipping my hair and chilling my sweaty face. I loved riding, so much that I took every opportunity to take Parsley out. As a result of the frequent, often vigorous exercise, he was one of the fastest horses around, and people often asked to borrow him for emergencies.

The city square was a half hour away, so I made myself comfortable, looping my legs through the leather stirrups that hung at his side. Temptation prodded at me, and I began pointedly ignoring my satchel. _You shouldn't be reading that book,_ I reminded myself. Sadly, I only lasted five minutes before giving in. It's not like I could read that much before we got there, anyway. Besides, I've always been a sucker for books of any kind.

Peeling it open, I expertly balanced myself atop Parsley, rocking my body along with his movement. Soon, I had the book wedged between the horn of the saddle and my legs, bending it back so the pages were wide open. Now I only had to let one hand go of Parsley at a time, and only when I needed to turn a page. Guiltily, I began reading the newest entry.

* * *

 _Dear Journal,_

' _Lil bro wanted to kill me. I kind of accidentally led a creeper herd right to his house, but I didn't realize I still had gunpowder in my pocket. Serves him right, anyway. He got so mad his face turned redder than a mooshroom's behind, and he said he was going to get his sword. I left the second he went back to what was left of his house to follow through with his threat. On a side note, I figured out how to make a redstone machine that serves you ice cream. The only problem is that the ice cream looks like dragon dung._

 _B._

* * *

I glanced up to see how close we were to the square. Seeing that we were still around twenty minutes away, I returned to the book. Parsley knew the path there by heart, so I let him do the driving, knowing we would get there just fine.

* * *

 _Dear Journal,_

 _I think there's something weird going on. Shahree is acting funny. I think she's sick. How are you supposed to take care of a creature like that? In turn, all of her children are acting odd, too. One of them tried to murder me, but I took care of it. I feel bad about it, but something's obviously very wrong._

 _B._

* * *

Who was Shahree? What did they mean by 'her children?' I turned to the next entry, a little confused by the suddenly sprawling, spiky hand writing. This one must've been written in a rush.

* * *

 _I have to go. No time to lose. Hopefully I can come back eventually, but right now I need to get as far away as possible. I'm risking my life every second longer I stay here. No more time to write— I can hear them coming for me._

* * *

My brow furrowed at the ominous message. 'Them?' Who was them? How was the writer risking their life? These questions flooded my mind, and I began to realize that maybe this book did have something of importance, after all.

Turning the page, I expected another concerning paragraph, but that wasn't quite what I got.

* * *

 _Dear Journal,_

 _It's been a while. I got caught up in life and forgot this book existed. They made up a song about me. I think it's stupid. Some people think I'm a joke, but I always prove them wrong. If I'm a joke, I'm one to be taken seriously._

 _All jokes aside, I've started dating her. The girl. Her name is Bethany, and I adore her. She's so funny, always giggling over nothing and blushing all the time. Girls are such strange creatures. I don't know how they could survive without men, what with the way they are; they're like little flowers about to be trodden on or a glass vase just barely balancing on the edge of a shelf. Nothing else much is new, except I finished Windbiter. It's beautiful._

 _B._

* * *

I frowned at the part about girls, shaking my head. So the writer was a guy? A somewhat sexist one, apparently.

* * *

 _Dear Journal,_

 _She kissed me! It was disgusting! Her breath smelled like raw meat and marrow, and she got my face all slobbery when she did it!_

 _Well, turns out she didn't kiss me. I had I dream she was, and when I woke up, I was snogging Thunder, that poor mutt. Hopefully I don't dream of such things again. Now I kind of_ am _afraid to kiss her._

 _B._

* * *

I burst out laughing. _They should make a movie out of that,_ I thought. Realizing we were only minutes away from the city square, I hurriedly found the next entry, only to be surprised by a single, sad sentence.

* * *

 _She dumped me._

* * *

Aw, poor guy. I flipped through what seemed to be hundreds of sketches, finally reaching a new paragraph.

* * *

 _Dear Journal,_

 _Everybody hates me. I hate them back, but still. I almost had to kill one today to get him to stop attacking me. Also, it's getting worse. I'm worried for Shahree. She looks... odd, somehow, and I still don't know what's wrong with her. I still care for her, though. I found this cool cave today, and I stayed there until my brother found me. I haven't seen him in forever, yet after all these years, he still hasn't grown an inch. He's a midget._

 _And apparently still just as stupid._

 _B._

* * *

I flipped through the rest of the journal, but that was the last entry there. I shrugged, putting the book into my bag. Parsley suddenly snorted, startling me with the sudden noise. "What?" We were there, that's what. _Well, there goes respecting his property,_ I thought. Then I slid off Parsley, tying him to a fence post with a complicated knot. "I'll be just a minute, bud. Try to catch your breath while I'm gone."

I hurried for the building in which the lost-and-found was located, trying to escape the hot afternoon sun. Summer could be scalding in Warrendale, sometimes getting hot enough to start fires purely from the heat. Ducking into the post office, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then I went up to Hank, the little old man who handled the lost-and-found. "Hey, Hank," I called politely. Hank looked up, giving me a kind smile. "Well, hello there, Ellie! Haven't seen you since you fixed up my kneecap!"

"How is it, by the way?"

"Just fine, thanks to you. I don't know what our city would do without a healer like you."

I smiled modestly. "Thanks. It was nothing, really. Could you put this in the lost-and-found bin, by the way?"

Hank bobbed his wrinkly old head. "Of course." Then, taking the notebook from me, he left his little desk, hobbling away and turning a corner. I shook my head, grinning to myself. I loved Hank; the old man had been there for as long as I could remember and he was always so polite. Once, he'd broken his kneecap, and I had to set the bone, give him a cast, and mix up pain medication for him. Since then, he'd been even more kind than he already was, which I didn't even know was possible.

"Ellie?" Hank came shuffling around the corner again, still beaming at me like I'd won an award. "Yes?" I replied. Lifted his head hopefully, he clasped his weathered hands together and gave me a pleading look. "Would you like to take a moment and have some cocoa with me? I'm so lonely right now, and besides, it's lunchtime."

 _Well, I did plan on having lunch._ I shrugged. "Why not?"

I hated how he always had to work by himself. He frequently complained of being lonely, and I always felt bad for him. Hank waddled over to the cocoa machine, starting the redstone up. Within minutes, he had two cups ready, and he beckoned me over to the little room in which the workers could take their breaks in. I squeezed in, and he sat me down at a small table.

To be honest, it was kind of weird having cocoa with an old man, but that was just Hank's way. I sat there, having already finished mine, and fidgeted. He seemed to sip forever, his mouth pressed to the lip of the cup in a never ending slurp.

 _Sssssssssssssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii—_

I sighed, wishing I could go and eat at that new café that had just opened across the street.

— _iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii—_

Glancing out the window, I stared at Parsley, hoping he wasn't having to endure something like this.

— _iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii—_

Was Hank running out of air anytime soon? Had he died while sipping and I didn't know it? I was just about to poke him to see if that's what happened when he finished.

— _iiip._

"Ah, that was some good cocoa," he declared. He smiled sweetly at me, preparing to say something else, and I panicked a little.

"Uh... yep, sure was! I just remembered I really have to be somewhere, so I gotta go now! It was nice seeing you!" I hurried for the door, slipping out before he could say anything. Don't get me wrong, I love him, but I think next time he wants cocoa, I might end up... busy _._

I spent the remainder of lunchtime checking out the new café, just like I'd wanted to. The food there was good, though a little too salty for my taste. I bought Parsley some hay to eat, and soon we were both ready to go.

The ride back home was rather uneventful, so I spent that time thinking about what I'd read in the little journal. It bothered me, the things that had been written about this 'Shahree' person. Not to mention that one entry about risking his life. I was dying to know what it meant, and I wished the owner could've written more entries.

Then we were home, and I let Parsley out into the pasture before heading back to the apothecary. After that, I spent the afternoon pulling glass out of someone's foot and soothing a nasty burn somebody else got from an exploding creeper. _At least I don't have that journal on me anymore._

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Herobrine:** I'm going to kill her.

 **That's nice, Hero. So, another chapter finished, eh? Oh, sorry, did you guys want to see what our white-eyed friend got up to once Ellie left? Well, here it is:**

* * *

-Hero-

* * *

 _Such paiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnn_

* * *

 **Did I mention I love dividers?**

 **Well, thanks for reading this chapter, assuming you didn't just skip the whole thing to read the author's note, and I'm pretty excited for the next one. It might take a bit longer this time, but I'm not sure. By the way, constructive criticism is appreciated! Just remember to be polite about it, please!**

 **Well, hope you enjoyed, review, be happy, and be sure not to let Herobrine into the fridge, because he** _**will**_ **eat all the food inside. Even the sauerkraut.**

 **-Mirror**


	4. Chapter 4: Crumbly

**Chapter 4: Crumbly**

 **Hey, guys! Sorry for taking so long to post this chapter; but I got sick... Sorry about that, but I'm here now, and here it is! Enjoy!**

* * *

-Herobrine-

* * *

It had been a week since the incident. I was still pretty achy, mostly because of a certain low blow, but I'd gotten over what happened. At least, I wasn't spending every waking moment searching for that little _brat_ anymore...

I growled to myself, squirming around restlessly in the soft, long grass where I lay. I was currently lying on the ground, attempting to sun myself, as the day was quite warm. I always found it relaxing to warm my body beneath the sun. Settling down, I reached out a hand to grasp a large fistful of grass. I ripped upwards, opening my palm to expose the many green blades. I began to count them, only getting to around fifty before I felt my eyelids begin to droop. I let my hand drop to the earth, the soft light radiating from my eyes dimming completely as my consciousness faded.

* * *

 _Images, many, bright, and colorful, flooded past his eyes, and he blinked, trying to_ _understand. Everything was spinning, and he felt slightly sick as the images spun faster and faster. Suddenly, everything slowed to a stop, leaving him in an outdoor clearing. He knew this place, though he hadn't seen it in decades. He began to wander around, hungrily absorbing every little detail. A movement in his peripheral vision drew his attention, and he squinted, unable to make out the shape in the distance. He moved towards it, but his feet dragged, an unknown force weighing them down. The thing— a person— suddenly appeared only feet before him, and he uttered a startled cry, trying to back away. Then he gasped. He knew this person._

 _He could've recognized those deep sapphire eyes anywhere, and there was the same white collared shirt. Wild ginger hair, untamed and wind blown, framed that familiar face. He smiled at the being, a light he had thought to be long gone gleaming in his own eyes. He reached out a hand, but the being drew back, a sad frown settling on their face. When he tried to ask what was wrong, his voice seemed to abandon him, and no sound left his mouth._

" _It'll be ok."_

 _The voice, thoughtful and gentle, resonated inside his own head, and he stared at the figure. The being began to back away from him, and he was filled with sudden panic. Somehow he knew that if the being left his sight, he'd never see them again. Forlorn thoughts filled his mind, and he desperately ran after them, silently calling for them to come back. His legs buckled, and he fell, the figure fading out of view._

No! I don't want you to go!

 _The figure suddenly turned, right at the brink of being out of sight. The being's mouth moved, but he could not hear anything. Then, darkness began to close in, stifling him. Suddenly, he couldn't breathe, and he began to panic_.

You abandoned me! You left me to the darkness!

 _He clawed at the dark, and it wrapped around him, thin, stringy strands of it cutting into his arms and hands. The more he struggled, the tighter the darkness gripped him, and he gasped for air. Something, unknown, mysterious, even frightening, touched him, and still he struggled._

 _Suddenly, a small, confused voice entered his head, asking a simple question._

* * *

"What are you doing?"

My eyes flew open, and, disoriented, I sat up. Looking around me, I registered the dirt coating my shirt and neck. The grass around me was torn up, and there was a large patch of dirt with the vague outline of my face pressed into it. _I was dreaming again,_ I realized. I rubbed at my face, brushing the warm, dry dirt from my eyes.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Gah!"

I whirled around, looking for who had spoken. A little boy no older than six stood there, innocently cocking his head at me. I blinked.

"Uh... hi there..."

"Why were you doing that? Daddy says mud baths are bad."

"I was sleeping."

The little boy blinked. "Daddy doesn't look like that when he sleeps."

I shrugged. "I do. What are you doing here, anyway? Having a picnic or something with your family?"

"No, I'm playing in the backyard!"

"The... the backyard?"

I stood in confusion, searching for any sign of civilization. As far as I knew, there were no villages for several chunks. The little guy nodded proudly. "We have a big backyard!"

"Really? How big?"

"Daddy says the whole forest is our backyard!"

I bit back a grin. You have to be careful with what you say around kids, because you never know what they take to heart. "What's your name, squirt?"

"My name is Tyler, but Daddy calls me squirt, like you! Are you Daddy's friend?"

I choked back a laugh. "I should think not." The kid sighed and sank down beside me, rubbing at his chubby cheeks with dirty fingers. _How long has he been out here_? I wondered. I stared at him for a moment. He was rather cute, with big, glittering brown eyes and a mess of tufted chocolate hair that curled up at the tips. He was on the pudgy side, and he had an air of innocence that can only be found in a few small children. He smiled sweetly at me, and I felt a small grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Can I play with you? You're nice."

I snorted. Me? _Nice? I don't think so._ But he's just a little kid. I shrugged. "I guess so." I settled myself against a large oak tree shadowing a large patch of grass, and he followed suit, plopping down beside me and putting his hands across his lap. Then he looked up at me cutely. "What's your name?"

"...Hero."

"Ooh! I like your name!"

"Thanks."

We sat in silence for a minute before the kid looked up at me again. His adorable eyes stared straight into mine, and he piped, "You look funny!" I blinked. The child continued, "My friends' eyes don't glow like that! Are you magic? Daddy says magic things glow all shiny!" I shrugged. "That's true enough. I am magic, but only a little bit."

"Oh!"

He resumed being silent again, and I closed my eyes, thinking. This boy clearly didn't realize how dangerous the woods were, especially with me in them. Tyler's father shouldn't have let his son just run around wherever, and I knew he would be regretting that decision by now. I figured Tyler was from the village not too far from here, and I knew I could get him back home by sundown.

Something suddenly brushed my eyelids, and they flew open to see Tyler staring at me, curiosity showing on his round little face.

"Did you fall asleep, Hero?"

"No."

"Than what were you doing?"

"Thinking."

I yawned widely, and something poked itself in my mouth. I froze, careful to keep my mouth open. "Your teeth are so pointy!"

"'Et 'or han' ou' 'o 'ey 'ough!"

Tyler giggled. "You're so silly!" He kept prodding my mouth, and I became worried he would slice his finger open on my sharp canine teeth. I couldn't fathom why anyone would want to touch my mouth by their own free will, and I drew back. The kid's hand slipped out of my mouth, which I promptly closed. This didn't faze Tyler, and he scrambled into my lap, inspecting me carefully. "You have big ears!"

I sighed exasperatedly as Tyler tugged at my hair, played with my shirt, even examined my fingers, and I began to feel very uncomfortable. _Why is he doing this?_ He kept leaning up to stare into my eyes, sometimes touching my eyelids like he had before.

Then he stopped, and I sighed in relief. "Hero, how come you're magic?"

"It's a long story."

"I like stories!"

"Well... I don't really remember very well," I admitted. "It kind of hurt, I guess."

"Why?"

"I don't know, ok?!"

Tyler fell silent again, still perched in my lap. I sighed, watching the sun as it began to set.

After a while, he climbed off of me, running down to play in the stream that ran by the hill we sat on. To prevent him from slinging mud clods at me, I showed him how to make a tiny toy pickaxe using some stones and sticks we found. He was so pleased with it that he told me he was going to be a miner when he grew up, and I smiled at that, patting him on his soft little head.

Eventually, he came back to me, giving my sleeve a tug. "Look at the pretty sky, Hero!" I glanced up, realizing that the sun was well on its way to sinking beneath the horizon. "Let's take you back home, ok?"

Tyler bobbled his head. "I wanna see Mommy and Daddy." I scooped him up, wrapping my arms tightly around his little body. Then I lifted off the ground, to which he responded with a squawk.

"You can fly?!"

I answered by speeding forwards, dodging trees and mobs as they began crawling out of their hiding places. I breathed in the crisp evening air, my eyes glowing a more intense shade of white. I always feel more alive at night, as if somebody suddenly pumps my veins full of energy once the sun sets. When I slept, which I admit, wasn't very often, it was usually during the daytime.

A few dim lights shone in the distance, and I sped on, hoping to drop him off and then go do something I wanted to take care of. Soon, we burst out of the woods and into the open air, high above the village. I floated even higher, attempting to give Tyler a better view.

"Which one is your house, bud?"

"Uh... Hero? I don't live here."

"What? Don't be silly; of course you do!"

Tyler frowned. "No I don't! I live in the big pretty place with gomems that give me flowers and there's a big fence and a pretty blanket on a stick!"

What in the Nether was he talking about?! I shook my head. "Well, I think you should go knock on somebody's door and ask them to take you home."

Tyler shook his head. "That sounds scary!"

"What do you mean? Just go ask somebody to take you home!"

"But... I want _you_ to take me home!"

"You'll be fine."

I landed near one of the houses and tugged at him gently, intending to ding-dong ditch somebody and frame Tyler for it. He gripped my arm and shoulder, his little fingers digging into my body. I pulled harder, and he wrapped himself around me, stubbornly telling me to take him home.

"Get off, Tyler!"

"No!"

I finally pulled him away, and he immediately hugged my leg, a frustrated tear trickling down his face. I felt pretty frustrated myself, as I didn't know how to pry him off of me without hurting him. "Off!" His lower lip suddenly quivered, and his big eyes watered. "Why are you trying to get rid of me? Don't you like me?"

A fat tear slowly trickled down his cheek, and I suddenly felt guilty. Hey, it's not like I'm not human. Well, partly human, anyway. "Where is your village, then?"

Happily, he stretched his little arms upwards, and I picked him back up in defeat. "It's the place with the blanket on a stick, 'member?" I sagged. _Whatever that means._ He yawned, and an idea suddenly struck me.

*Author slaps Herobrine with stick that has the word 'idea' written on it*

"Ow!"

"What's wrong?"

"Uh... nothing. How about you sleep at my house tonight?"

"Your house? Like a sleepover?"

"...Yes. Exactly like a sleepover."

"Daddy says I'm not supposed to sleepover with strangers."

"Well, I'm your friend, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then I'm not a stranger!"

"Oh, ok!"

I sincerely hoped Tyler didn't take that to heart, otherwise any old crazy evil dude could come along and tell him they're his friend, and he'd go along with it. Luckily for him, I wasn't a crazy evil dude. I coughed.

Anyway.

Turning in the direction of my home, I lifted back into the air, Tyler holding onto me like we were some sort of weird Superman ripoff. It took a couple minutes to get there, but soon, a giant structure came into view. Tyler gasped. "Whoa! What is that?"

"My house."

His little eyes practically bugged out of his head, and I allowed myself a grin. "It's _ginormous!"_ He exclaimed. We landed in front of it, and I led him up to the house. The doors were already open, so I simply walked right in, a stunned Tyler following behind. Inside, everything had an open feel to it, with little to no walls separating the rooms from one another. Instead, the kitchen smoothly grafted into the living room, and there was a floating staircase that led up to the second floor. The only area that was closed off at all was the bathroom, and that was because it was necessary. Dumping Tyler down on a rather squashed gray couch, I walked towards the kitchen, returning with a hunk of cake in hand. I began stuffing it in my mouth, heedless of the thick, white frosting that was now clinging to my mouth and fingers. Tyler made a small, longing noise, and I glanced at him, pausing mid bite.

"Can I have some?"

"No."

"Please? I'm really hungry. I only had bekfest today..."

"...Still no."

Tyler inched closer to me, which I ignored, continuing the process of devouring the cake. Looking at me carefully, he slowly reached out a hand. Then he snatched a handful of cake from me and crammed it in his mouth before I could so much as glance at him. "Hey!" He chewed it furiously, giving me a defiant stare. " _Sheesh,_ kid! Ok, you can have some."

I returned to the counter where the cake lay, grabbing the whole thing and carrying it over to the couch. We both tore into it, Tyler giggling in delight at the fact that he didn't have to use a fork. Once it was finished, I cleaned him up at the sink, not wanting sticky frosting smeared everywhere. Then I carried him upstairs, gesturing at the many bedrooms. Instead of being divided with walls, they were open to each other, the only thing separating them being a fence running around the perimeter of each 'room.'

Almost slinging Tyler onto one of the beds, I ignored his ecstatic squeals, turning off the redstone lights so he was left in darkness. "Go to bed," I commanded. He kept giggling, and I sighed. How are you supposed to deactivate small children? I wished there was a guide for such things. After a minute of his nonstop giggling, I went over and poked him in the ribs. "Shhh." For some reason, that only seemed to make him laugh harder, and he began to hiccup. "Shhh, I said!" I prodded him again, and still he laughed. I began tapping him in random places, hoping there was an off switch hidden somewhere.

"Sleep!"

He hiccuped again.

"Go to bed!"

To my dismay, he began to bounce on the bed, making it creak and groan. "Fine. I'm leaving."

I checked to make sure all the windows were shut, to ensure spiders didn't get in, and then I left, trudging down the stairs and out the door. For once, I locked the door behind me, hoping that Mobs didn't realize I left the key under the front stair. Then I made my way deeper into the woods, deciding to spend the night exploring.

* * *

§ § § Ꮘ § § §

* * *

"I WANNA HAVE A COOKIE!" I winced at the harsh shriek, holding aloft a large jar of chocolate chip cookies. Tyler was screaming, brandishing his little fists as he bounced up and down, demanding to have the treats. "No! You'll throw up again!"

"I promise I won't!"

Earlier that morning, I'd returned to find the kid eating as many treats as he could stuff down his little throat. He'd then proceeded to puke all over my couch, my floor, and my face, which I really hadn't appreciated. It was noon now, and he kept insisting that he was hungry. I didn't know what small children were supposed to eat, but if his puke came out that color, than sweets couldn't be that good for him. He grabbed at my shirt, and I jerked away, causing him to fall backwards onto his rump. "But I'm hungry!" He bawled. I scowled. "Here, eat this!"

I wrenched open the icebox I kept the meat in, throwing a cold steak at him. He wrinkled his nose, and I quickly set the cookies atop a shelf he couldn't reach. "Eat the meat, kid."

"But it looks yucky!"

Finally having enough, I dropped to my knees, grabbed the meat, and crammed it in his mouth. He spat it back out, and I growled. Then he started to cry, backing away from me. "You're being scary!"

I sighed. "Fine. Here's what we'll do. I'm going to leave a bunch of food out, and you can eat what you think is yummy. But no cookies."

"But—"

" _No cookies."_

Tyler pouted, crossing his arms and poking out his lower lip. "Fine." Tired of him already, I began the long, boring process of dragging every single foodstuff I had out and laying them out on the table.

* * *

~Ellie~

* * *

I sighed, rubbing away at a scabby green leg propped up on the back of a chair. I was currently attempting to heal someone who had caught the Grip, which was otherwise known as the sickness that turned you into an undead. The poor man had shown up already half taken, and I'd been working all morning on curing the sickly patches of skin spreading all across his arms, jaw, chest and left leg. He winced again, and I gave him a consoling pat on the leg, murmuring comforting words. "Almost there." Taking a worn rag from the table beside me, I poured a funky smelling potion onto it. Then I began to rub gently at the same patch of skin, watching carefully as the skin changed from green to tan. I continued the process, wiping down the whole lower half of his leg with the potion. The last patch of Grip faded, and the man sighed. I smiled at him, standing to put away my materials. "There you go, sir." The man stood, towering over me.

"Thank you so much," he breathed. I shook my head. "It's nothing, really." As the man walked away, I poked my head outside the healing room, looking for more customers. It was pretty much time to close up, though I always left a note telling people where to go in case of an emergency. It looked like that man may have been the last patient of the night, so I began to lock up the apothecary, making sure the windows and door were shut tight before actually locking them.

"Ellie!"

"AH!"

I whirled around, sword drawn. "Gah!" Peter leapt back, and I sighed in relief, sheathing my sword. "Hiya, Pete, what do you want?" Peter exhaled, his shoulders slumping. "Uh... Hi, Ellie. I... I need to tell you something."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Can we do this in your home?"

"Sure," I replied, slightly suspicious. _What does he want to tell me?_ As we walked, I ignored my overexcited heart, twiddling my thumbs to occupy my wild imagination. Once we were inside my house, I led him to the modest living room, and he sat down. He looked at me, and I cocked my head. "What is it, Pete?" Peter sighed.

The silence dragged on, and the air suddenly seemed heavy. I had a sick feeling in my gut, and I gulped reflexively. Finally, he looked up.

"You're close with the post office guy, right?"

 _Ok... not what I was expecting..._

"Uh, yeah? Why?"

"Well... he's dead."

Silence.

I blinked, certain I hadn't heard right. "What did you say?" Peter shook his head. "Somebody was messing around in the shops a few nights ago, and they were all trashed. The post office guy— Hank was his name, right?— was on a late shift when whoever it was broke in. Someone found his clothes on the floor, and the room had a lot of smoke in it. The weird thing is that the only place that was stolen from was the post office. And only one thing was taken."

"What?" I asked, a bad taste filling my mouth. Peter shrugged, obviously confused.

"Just an old book, is what I heard."

 _Oh no._

I sank down into my chair, guilt filling me. Hank was dead, killed by one of Herobrine's minions— or even Herobrine himself— and it was my fault. I shouldn't have put the journal there! How stupid was it to do that when you already knew Herobrine was after it?! And the last thing I said to Hank was that I had something else to do. I hadn't even technically said goodbye. I felt terrible. The sweet old man had probably begged to be spared, maybe to even have cocoa with the attacker, and now he was gone.

I shook my head, blinking away sad, guilty tears. Anger, sharp and burning hot, filled my chest, and I gritted my teeth. "I'm gonna kill him."

"You what?!"

"Uh, nothing. I just said I was gonna... find Jim. You know, the funeral guy?"

"That's his name?"

"Yeah."

"I thought it was—"

I abruptly stood. "I need to go to sleep," I lied. Peter nodded understandingly, giving my shoulder a consoling pat. "I'm sorry, Ellie." I sighed softly, accepting the comfort wordlessly. He left, and I was left alone, with no source of company but my pets and my thoughts. I paced around the house for a while, thinking and planning and sharpening my sword. Then I exited my home, making sure my pets were locked up good and tight. Sneaking my way into the woods, I avoided Mobs' notice as much as possible and searched for a particular clearing. When I found it, I began to make as much noise as I was physically able, only pausing to kill off the Mobs that came hoping for an easy meal. They weren't the ones I was trying to attract tonight.

"HEROBRINE! HEY, STUPID, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

I paused, listening for any evidence of his presence. "HELLO? WHAT, ARE YOU AS DEAF AS YOU ARE UGLY?! OR IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?"

Subconsciously, I recognized how dangerous and stupid this was, but when people threatened or hurt my friends, I just kind of lost it. I would do anything to make what was wrong right, and since I couldn't bring Hank back to life, I was at least going to attempt to stop the killer. That was one reason I was a healer; I hated watching good people suffer because no one could help them.

For an hour, I stormed around and shrieked at the top of my lungs, and I gained quite the audience. A large gathering of Mobs too intimidated to attack me surrounded the clearing, watching curiously to see if Herobrine was ever going to show up. I taunted and mocked him as loudly as I could, but he never made an appearance.

 _Where is he?!_

* * *

-Herobrine-

* * *

"TYLER, STOP BREAKING MY STUFF!"

"Hehehehehehe—"

 _CRASH!_

* * *

~Ellie~

* * *

Frustrated, I eventually quieted down, turning to go home. It was past midnight, and Herobrine clearly wasn't going to come. What did I expect, anyway? It was a once in a million chance you saw Herobrine in the first place; and to have an actual interaction with him and live was much more unlikely.

Disappointed that they didn't get to see the fight, the Mobs went home, too, except for a few zombies that I quickly disposed of. That night, I lay in bed, thinking.

Now that I had gotten all my angry feelings out, all that was left was sadness. Sadness... and guilt. I knew I was directly responsible for Hank's death, and it made me feel sick to my stomach. _I wish I hadn't even found that dumb journal,_ I griped. I wiped the tears from my face, burying my head under the thick wool blankets. Eventually, I fell asleep, but I was relentlessly chased by nightmares of sweet, smiling old men being brutally murdered by a white eyed shadow.

* * *

§ § § Ꮘ § § §

* * *

Watering my plants, I anxiously checked the time. I had scheduled a break for myself, a much needed rest, and I was only an hour away from being able to enjoy it. Yesterday, we'd had a funeral service for Hank. As there was no body to bury, we put some of his clothes and things he loved in life inside the coffin. It was rather quiet, and I could tell that everyone was unnerved. _What if one of us was next?_

Frankly, as I knew who actually killed him, I was more worried than anyone else. Especially since after angering him and kicking him in a spot no man should be kicked, I then recklessly made a scene two nights ago and all the Mobs witnessed me making fun of him. I think I even heard one skeleton laugh. They were sure to tell him what happened.

I had already admonished myself for being so stupid, but the damage was done. I watered the flowers faster, anxiously looking around me. Nobody was in sight. I sighed, checking the sun from out the window yet again. Time seemed to crawl along, and it didn't help that I was worried out of my mind about the whole situation. Sure, I'd beaten him up and gotten away with it, but that wasn't exactly very comforting.

I had my sword on me even now, and the minute my hour was up, I exited the apothecary without second thought. I needed to be around other people. Being alone was driving me crazy. Walking the route to Trixie's house, I kept a careful eye on my surroundings.

"Ellie! Hey!"

I jumped. "Ack!"

"Sorry!"

Trixie laughed, shaking her head as she hefted a pickaxe over her shoulder. "Whatcha doing, Ellie?"

I blinked, embarrassed that I was scared so easily. "Uh... just coming to visit you is all."

"Oh, great! You can join me and Vanessa! We were gonna go on a mining trip!"

"Wait, Vanessa?! From Dragonsbane?! She's in town?!"

"Yep! Didn't I tell you? She got here last night! HEY, VANI!"

There was a scuffling, and then a thin young woman with black, shoulder-length hair came out Trixie's front door. The moment she saw me, her almond eyes widened, and her face lit up with a bright smile. "Ellie, I haven't seen you in forever!" She ran over to me, wrapping me in a tight hug. Like most people from the kingdom of Dragonsbane, she had elegant, pretty features, but a strength that belied her size. "Hey Vanessa," I laughed, hugging her back. She pulled away and beamed, showing me a diamond pickaxe. I gasped, reaching out a hand to run a finger along its crystalline edge. The pickaxe caught the sunlight, and the diamond split the light into many different colors that glittered on the ground. "Where did you get this?" I breathed. She smiled.

"Remember Sparks? I had him make this."

"Wow, Sparks has gotten so much better!"

Vanessa laughed, swishing her hair out of her face. "Yeah, he has. But enough about that. I want to begin mining sometime before tomorrow."

I smiled. "Alright then. Let me get my pickaxe."

Ten minutes later, the three of us stood at the edge of a cave. I could barely see into the darkness, and Trixie pulled out a torch. Lighting it with some flint and steel, she held it aloft, and we were able to peer into the cave. Excited, I lit my own torch, and we walked in. "Alright, guys. I know a vein that runs really deep, even down to lava level, but I was saving it until we could explore it together," Trixie explained. Vanessa and I nodded. "Be careful, and watch for Mobs, ok?" With that, we set off along a branch of the cave that led steadily downwards. For a while, the vein seemed oddly barren of ores and different stones; instead being an endless wall of unbroken gray rock. A few tunnels branched off the main one every now and then, but we stuck to the original, squinting into the darkness as we searched for ores.

"This is really weird," Vanessa commented. I nodded. "No kidding. We've been searching for who knows how long now, and still no sign of ores."

Trixie huffed impatiently, and then suddenly gasped. "I see something! It looks like emerald!"

Vanessa frowned, squinting her green eyes. "I don't... wait! I think I— Uh oh."

I leaned forward, staring at something moving in the darkness. Then, it lit up with a brilliant flash of light, and the three of us looked at each other in horror.

"CREEPER!" We screamed in unison.

 _BOOM!_

I covered my arms and face to protect myself from the blast, a sick feeling filling my stomach. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my back, and I flailed, giving a cry of alarm. The creeper's explosion had opened up a new section of the cave, and I had fallen right into it. Sitting up, I spat out some rocks, ignoring my stinging lip and back. Looking at my forearms, I winced. The white, thick smoke that ran through my veins was drifting upwards, curling off my body as it escaped through the cuts I received from the sharp rock.

"T-Trixie? Vanessa? Are you guys ok?"

My torch had been snuffed out during either the explosion or the fall afterwards, and I waited anxiously in the darkness for an answer. Finally, I heard the faint response. "Yeah, we're both ok. Where are you?"

"I don't know. I fell into a different cave when that Creeper exploded."

"Try to find the hole you fell into!"

I turned, searching for the glimmering light of my friends' torches. My eyes were adjusting to the darkness, and I could barely make out a large pile of stones that were still shifting and settling. "Oh, crud..."

"What is it?!"

"I'm trapped!"

"Just... start looking for another way out! These tunnels have to connect somewhere!"

"Here, walk along the wall with me!"

I listened to their comforting words as we walked the parallel tunnels together, but their voices began to sound distant. Soon, all noise faded completely, except for the sound of my own frightened heartbeat. Still I walked, naively hoping I would find an exit somewhere nearby. Suddenly, the small tunnel I was in opened up into an immense cavern, and I looked around, eagerly searching for where my friends must've surely entered the same cave. Nobody else was with me, and I sagged, rubbing at my temples. Then my brain registered the dim orange glow lighting up the cavern, and I looked around, realizing there was a stream of lava oozing slowly down from the top of the cavern. I kept my pickaxe at the ready, my eyes peeled for monsters.

I began to explore the cavern, examine the walls for either exits or ores. Stepping around a particularly large boulder, I sighed. Then I looked down.

" _Oh my—"_

There was a man just laying there on the ground, and I resisted letting out a shriek. _Is he alive?_ I bent down and put my ear to his chest, listening to the rhythmic thumping of his heart. I sighed in relief. _He must've come down here to mine and gotten trapped,_ I mused. _That's probably where all the ores went._ Checking my bag for food, I deliberated on whether to wake him or not. _I should_ , I decided. I had no idea how long he'd been down here. He could be starving, or dehydrated, or even injured. I knelt down beside him, getting a better look. He wore a simple teal T-shirt, a pair of dark blue jeans, and old, worn mining boots. Shaggy, dark brown hair covered his eyes, but other than that, I couldn't make out any more details, as the lighting was too dim. For some reason, I felt nervous about waking the stranger up, but I told myself it would be fine. Reaching out to poke his shoulder, I leaned over his face.

"Hey," I whispered. "Are you all right?"

The man mumbled to himself, rolling over on his side. The back of his shirt was rumpled and lined, as if he'd been lying there for a while. More insistently, I tapped his cheek, raising my voice just a bit.

"Hey, dude, are you ok? Wake up!"

With a start, the man leapt right to his feet, and I backed up instinctively. "Woa, you startled me," I chuckled. "For a minute there, I thought you were de—"

He turned to look at me, and I stuttered to a halt mid-sentence.

"You."

His eyes, suddenly lighting up a bright white, widened. " _You."_

My body already knew what was happening before my brain registered it, and I ducked as a fist whizzed over my head.

 _Crunch!_

He pulled his hand back, giving it a shake. He'd punched the cavern wall behind me, and now cracks were running along the area he'd hit. He kicked out at me, and I leapt, barely dodging the blow.

 _THUD!_

Again, the wall took the punishment, and I heard a little crunching noise as the crack began to spread. There was a confused hiss from the other side of the wall, and I suddenly realized what was happening.

 _WHACK!_

I slammed into the wall, my ears ringing. He'd punched me, a result of taking my thoughts off the current dilemma for even a second. With a roar, the wall began to crumble, revealing the second cave on the other side. Surprisingly, that cave led right outside, sunlight shining hopefully through the opening. Dazed, I began to run towards it, screaming as rubble rained down on my head. Herobrine grabbed at me from behind right at the same moment a creeper popped up in front, and I spun to the side. With a crunch, the two collided.

Shoving the poor creeper out of the way, Herobrine lunged forward. Then, with a puff of white Enderflakes, he was gone. I peered behind me, searching for the demon. Turning to look back in front of me, I shrieked. Dodging him as he grabbed at me, I aimed desperately for the maw of the cave.

The deafening, seemingly endless rumbling of the cave-in grew louder, and rock began to pour down from the ceiling. Chunks began to fall down in front of the exit, and I ran all the faster, my legs eating up the distance as I closed in. Suddenly, something grabbed my legs from behind, and I fell, bruising my jaw on the unforgiving stone floor.

"What are you doing?" I shrieked at back at Herobrine. "If you don't let me go, we'll both be killed!"

He looked up at the rocks that were quickly covering my only escape. Seeming to have second thoughts, he released me as he jumped to his feet. He skidded towards the entrance, with me following close behind. _I'm not going to make it,_ I realized. I sprinted as fast as I could, Herobrine always a step ahead of me. There was but a small gap at the top left, and he began to climb up the loose rocks, pulling them down and causing him to slip. He tumbled back down, and large boulders fell down on top of him, crushing him to the floor. I leapt over those same rocks, aiming for the single ray of sunlight still shining through. Then, with a _thunk!_ , a final rock fell into place with all the solemnity of someone sealing a coffin.

The cave continued to crumble, and I panicked, looking for a way out. One of the larger boulders blocking the opening of the cave suddenly shifted, and I back away, covering my head as little pebbles pelted my skull. Then the boulder rolled to the side, and, to my dismay, Herobrine staggered to his feet. Smoke rose from a few spots on his head and shoulders, and his eyes flickered as he stumbled around. Turning to stare at the blocked entrance, he backed away, avoiding the stones bouncing and crumbling before him. A small handful of Enderflakes appeared around him, and he gasped, the Enderflakes simply floating away as he stood there. He clutched his head in pain. Turning to look back at me, he limped my way, and I backed up, still trying to avoid all the debri and rock. A stone glanced off of Herobrine's shoulders, and he fell to his knees, gravel spraying up around him as rocks rained down. Then, just like that, the rocks stopped falling, and a deathly silence filled the air.

I gasped for breath, clutching my ankle where Herobrine had grabbed it. Then the demon slowly got to his feet, glaring at me with pure hatred. He snarled, and I quickly drew my sword. Then a second rumbling ripped through the cavern, much louder than the first, and suddenly, the ground opened up beneath us. I let out a scream, scrabbling for a handhold. Herobrine, who was clinging to the edge of the rift as rubble rained down on his head, suddenly lunged at my leg, relinquishing his own secure handholds in favor of grabbing onto me. Then his eyes widened as he realized his mistake, and I gasped, clinging onto the edge for dear life. He was heavy, and I felt my grip slipping.

"Let go," I roared. "Let go! You're going to kill me!"

A stubborn gleam in his eye, he simply tightened his hold, and, unable to take both our weights any longer, I let go. Rocks shoved us down the new hole, and we both screamed, holding onto each other as we tumbled down into endless darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: Woo, a Cliffhanger! (Actually technically a cliff-** _ **faller**_ **, am I right?) And what's with that weird dream Hero had?!**

 **Anyway, if any of you take the time to review, that would be much appreciated! I wanna know what you guys think! Ok, for real, though, I literally had to rewrite this chapter six times. No joke.**

 **On a side note, I'll probably start updating every Tuesday, but school is starting soon, so I may have to adjust the schedule. I don't know yet.**

 **Thanks for reading, have a nice day, review, fav, follow, and make sure to hide Herobrine's sword under the couch if you get the chance! (Trust me, he'll never find it there)**

 **~Mirror**


	5. Chapter 5: Woo, Something Awful!

**Chapter 5: Woo, Something Awful!**

 **Hai, I'm back! And here's another chapter chock full of loveliness and logic. Also, WARNING: Angst, some disturbing elements, blood substitutes, and mildly frightening themes ahead.**

 **It's not terrible, just saying this is an angsty chapter.**

* * *

~Ellie~

* * *

 _THUMP!_

We fell to the hard, cold stone, and a jolt of pain ripped through my body. Rocks continued to rain down on us, and I scrambled out of the way, panicked. Pulling myself out from under the hole, I inhaled deeply, relieved I was alive. The rocks kept pelting down, and I squinted, searching for Herobrine. There he was, limp and unmoving even as sharp stones jabbed down at his body. With the rate that everything was collapsing at, I knew that he could be trapped under a few tons of rocks within but few minutes. He could be extremely injured, or even die— if that were possible. I paused for a second, doubting the decision I was about to make. I should save him, but then again, he _did_ try to kill me. I shook my head. _No time for that. Take the chance now or you'll miss it._ Recklessly, I dove through the hail of rocks, grabbing onto his leg and dragging him out from the ever-growing pile of stones. He was heavy, and it took some effort, but finally, he was out, and eventually, the cave-in slowed. Soon, only a few pebbles and bits of gravel were skittering down the hole, and I looked around nervously, wondering if it was really over.

All was silent, and after a moment, I decided that it was. Herobrine groaned, and I glanced down at the unconscious demon flopped before me. I poked him, receiving no response other than a finger twitch. _He needs serious help._ Even in the dark like this, I could see multiple spots and places around his body where he was injured, and part of his head was swollen.

I sighed, mulling over my options. I could always just leave him here. He might wake up eventually, and probably end up fine. And then track me down and murder me. I could also finish him off right here, right now. I had a sword, and I glanced at it, then at his battered body. _Should I...?_ I mean, he _was_ the most evil, dangerous thing known to Minecraft... Uncertainly, I unsheathed the sword, staring at his exposed chest. Lifting the blade above his body, I bit my lip. All I had to do was shove downwards. For Hank. I gulped. _For Hank,_ I repeated to myself. I lifted the sword higher, looking at his face. It was scrunched in pain, and right now he looked like just a regular, pitiful Crafter. I sighed. I couldn't kill him. I put away the sword, mentally apologizing to Hank.

If he wasn't to die, then what should I do? A large, reasonable part of me kept screaming to leave him there, and let fate do with him what it wanted, but a little voice kept whispering insistently that that wasn't the course I should take. I shook my head at the ridiculous idea, but still, I listened. The idea? Healing him. Of course it could result in my untimely death, but I was already stuck chunks beneath the surface with no one but Mobs and darkness to keep me company. He'd probably wake up on his own anyway, but if I healed him, he might be grateful enough not to murder me. Win-win, right?

I sighed, giving in. Digging through my bag, I pulled out a heavy wooden jar, staring at him the whole time. Cracking the jar open, I resisted a gag as a thick, pungent odor filled the air. _At least that'll scare the Mobs off,_ I thought. Reaching two fingers in, I scooped up a large dollop of thick, silvery paste. Then I took a deep breath, reaching down to begin rubbing the paste around in his hair. The stuff I was using was a mixture of soothing herbs and a few ghast tears, and it was very helpful for healing. It worked rather slowly, but it worked nonetheless. Once I finished with his head, I pulled off both his inventory bag and his shirt, staring for a moment at his toned muscles. Then I began to apply the paste to the welts and bruises covering his chest. After that, I worked on his back and shoulders, and he started to move around. Disregarding the movement, I kept working at a particularly nasty gash on his shoulder, carefully tapping my fingers around the edges of the cut. Ignoring the warm smoke that kept floating up between my fingertips, tinting them white, I dabbed gently, rhythmically. He suddenly winced, and a pained gasp escaped him. I jumped, leaning down to look at his face. His eyes remained closed, and his breathing regular. I quickly calmed back down, resuming the long process of applying the paste.

Once I finished with him, I worked on myself, tenderly spreading the stuff over my aches and pains. It stained my skin silver, and I wrinkled my nose at the scent. All the same, I breathed a sigh of relief as a cool, tingling sensation spread throughout my body. Then I pulled out a fermented piece of watermelon. Pinching my nose, I bit down, resisting the urge to throw up on the spot. _It's good for you,_ I told myself. I chewed furiously, swallowing and then chomping down on a new chunk.

Once I had finished the glistering melon, I stood, looking around me. My eyes had adjusted as much as they could to the darkness, and yet the farthest I could see was where Herobrine lay, which was but a few blocks away. I peered into the darkness, searching for some sign of hope or a way to escape. Finding nothing, I dropped back down to the ground, stumped. There was no sign of light anywhere, and I had no idea what to do when it came to escaping the cave. I glanced over at Herobrine again, and he looked back at me, now very much awake.

"AAAAH!" I screamed.

He simply rolled his eyes, and I calmed down as he made no movements, apparently preferring to just lie there. His gaze flicked over to his shirt, which lay on the ground in front of him, and he frowned. Then he sat up, slowly, grimacing the whole time. Looking down at his bare chest and arms, he lifted a hand to his head, only to immediately pull it away, startled. Looking at the silver paste coating his fingertips, his brows knitted together. "What is this?" He murmured in a quiet voice. Lifting his fingers to his nose, he sniffed, then immediately coughed and turned his head away.

"Did this stuff... come out of me?"

His voice, soft and almost melodic, in a way,— a stark contrast to that terrifying demon's voice he'd had a week ago— sounded utterly confused as he scrutinized the paste. I blinked in surprise. "Haven't you ever seen regen paste?" I asked. He glanced up at me, bewilderment evident in his eyes. "'Regen paste?' This... _goop_ heals me?"

I nodded my head, attempting a friendly smile. It didn't quite work, instead coming out as a grimace.

He carefully shook his head. "Phantoms, I can see why you make that face. It smells terrible."

I giggled. I couldn't help it! This was both so strange and terrifying at the same time; I was trapped in a pitch black cave with Herobrine himself just sitting there, covered in stinky paste and one heck of a cowlick. Most likely the laugh was a result of my fraying nerves. As it was, he looked at me weirdly, squinting his eyes as if searching for something. He sat there for a moment, and I stared at him, thinking. His eyes met mine, and I blinked owlishly.

"Why did you heal me?" He finally asked. He must've known he would've been in serious trouble if I hadn't intervened. I paused, thinking for a moment. "I... I don't know." He straightened up, painfully reaching for his shirt. "Good. If you'd said 'because it was the right thing to do,' I would've thrown up."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh. For some reason, I thought you were going to say something like, 'if you'd said that, I would've killed you on the spot.'"

He shrugged. "That too." I chuckled nervously, and he gave me that look again. Then he began to struggle into his shirt, and I tentatively held up a finger. "It works better if you allow it to dry," I commented helpfully. He grunted, stuffing the shirt into his back pocket. Eyeing the paste coating my cheek, jaw, and collarbone, he cocked his head. "Why isn't your shirt off, then?"

I flushed. "Because I'm a girl, genius." He blinked, as if the idea of people having different genders had never occurred to him. "Oh... uh... Of course." Then he pulled himself to his feet using the aid of a stone ledge beside him. Looking around, his eyes became rather bright, though they didn't do much altogether when it came to lighting up the cave.

"Where are we?" I asked. Herobrine shrugged, any anger he'd had towards me before seemingly forgotten for the moment. "No idea. Never been here before." It was hard to see anything, and it took three attempts to get to my feet. I pulled out a thick stick, intending to light it with my flint and steel.

"Oh, no, I lost my flint!"

Herobrine glanced at what I held in my hand, then sighed. Reaching for the torch, he ignored me as I flinched away, instead snatching it from me and lighting it with his bare hand. Dim light filled the cave, and I looked around, searching for a way out. We seemed to be at an intersection of some sort, many different tunnels leading different directions. All of them seemed to have one thing in common: they went downwards. Herobrine glanced at me. "Which way?"

I blinked, surprised. "What?"

"Which way do you pick? We have to go somewhere."

' _We?!'_ My shoulders slumped in relief. He apparently didn't plan on killing me, at least not yet. I pointed in a random direction, not knowing what else to do.

"Uh... that way."

We went down the tunnel I'd chosen, pointedly ignoring each other's company. After a while of nothing happening, I spoke up.

"Why did you kill Hank?"

"Who is 'Hank?'"

"Oh, you know, the sweet old man who worked at the post office that you _murdered_ ," I snapped angrily.

Herobrine blinked, the dim light on the walls flickering as he did so. "He had my book." He started this matter-of-factly, as if it made complete and total sense to kill someone in cold blood over such a thing as a simple book. "Your book? You mean that journal is yours?!" As soon as I spoke the words, I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. Too late. Herobrine glowered at me. "You _read it?!"_

 _Well, too late to lie now._ I nodded. He clenched his teeth. "How much?" He asked in a would-be calm voice, if not for the dangerous edge at the end of the sentence. I gulped nervously. "All of it." Herobrine's eyes lit up bright white, and I flinched. Then they dimmed back down, and he shrugged. "No matter. You and your tiny human brain wouldn't understand much of it anyway." I noted that there was suddenly a pink hue to his cheeks, and his foot began to tap rapidly on the floor. Apparently, things just got awkward.

"Sorry," I apologized uncomfortably. I sidled to the other side of the cave to be safe.

A light glimmered around the corner of the tunnel, and I hurried forward, hoping it was a way out.

"Stop," Herobrine suddenly called. I flinched, skidding to a halt. "W-what?"

"You're running right towards some lava, human."

"What? How can you tell?"

"I can smell it, you idiot."

Confused, I inhaled deeply, smelling nothing but the rancid scent of regen paste. "You can?" He simply nodded, walking past me and turning the corner. I did the same, only to suddenly teeter at the edge of a pit of magma. I gulped. If I had gone running around the corner, I would've fallen right in.

"That was close. T-thanks."

He shook his head condescendingly, and I quickly backed away, imagining the feeling of his hands on my back as he shoved me in. "Why did you stop me?" Herobrine simply glanced up. "I don't like the smell of burning humans," he explained smoothly. I winced. "Uh... thanks..." The lava pit extended for a while, and it was too far to even think of making it across without getting incinerated. "I'm tired," Herobrine stated simply. He sat down, his bare back pressed against the hard wall, eyes roving the area. Not knowing what else to do, I sat down across from him, giving both the lava and him a wide berth. He kept fidgeting, the quick, impatient movements making him look anxious.

For a while we sat, and I thought about what to do. Herobrine's breathing seemed to steadily get louder, and I glanced over at him, confused. He kept brushing at his arms as if he were cold, and his foot was still tapping away at the floor, like an impatient tic of some kind.

"What are you doing?"

His gaze flicked over to me, and he glared for a moment, eyes bright. Then he calmed down, seeming to consider something. After a moment, he sighed. "I do not particularly enjoy being closed off in one space," he admitted. "If I sit still too long, it gets to me." I blinked. "Are you saying you're claustrophobic?"

"No. I am not afraid of anything; much less a mere tight space," he snapped. "I am simply... mildly uncomfortable around them. Yes."

"Oh. Out of curiosity, why do you hide in caves all the time if you're so uncomfortable around them?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you."

I shrugged. "Fine. Not like I care, anyway." We sat quietly, him staring at the floor, me staring at him. The lava lit his face up, and I studied his features curiously. For some reason, I'd never imagined him as actually having a face, only thinking of these horrible white eyes staring out at everyone. Now that I could see him, he didn't look at all like what I expected.

If I squinted, I could barely make out the light freckles sprinkling his nose and upper cheeks, and two big ears jutted out from beneath a mop of dark hair. He was clean shaven, and smudges of dirt and soot marked up his strong jaw. I looked back at his eyes, then blinked. Now that he was calm, his eyes' glow had dimmed, revealing that they weren't entirely white. His irises were actually a light, milky blue color, but when his eyes glowed brightly, there was so much white that it blotted out the blue. He had no pupil, instead having just solid blue iris all the way through. _Strange,_ I thought to myself. He blinked up at me, and I realized I had been staring into his eyes for a while.

I coughed, averting my gaze. Shifting impatiently, Herobrine looked around as I frowned, a feeling of hopelessness engulfing me. "How do we escape? There's no way out!" Herobrine shook his head. "There is an escape; we just have to find it. I could teleport out if I wasn't so injured, but you caused that cave-in, so we're stuck here in the meantime." Eyes wide, I stared at him incredulously. " _Excuse_ me?! _I_ caused the cave-in?! I wasn't the one trying to kill me, _buster!_ If _you_ hadn't attacked me, none of this would've happened!"

He huffed. " _Actually_ , if you'd just held still and let me hit you instead of the wall, none of this would've happened." I threw my hands up in the air, angry now. "Do you even hear yourself?! What sort of idiot would hold still while Herobrine attempted to kill them— because he was having a dumb little hissy fit?! Wow, I thought someone who'd been alive for millions of years would have a higher IQ than that. Guess I was wrong."

Herobrine's eyes flashed bright white. "Are you insulting me?" He growled. I raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Gee whiz, pal, do you need someone to tell you that? Yeah, I'm insulting you." He leapt to his feet, albeit with a wince, and I did the same. "That is... _unwise_. I advise you to apologize while you still can."

I snorted. "No thanks."

"What?!"

"You heard me. News flash, I am officially ticked. I am literally stuck down here in what seems to be an inescapable cave with my friend's killer, who by trying to kill me caused a huge rockslide that got us into this mess in the first place, whom I _then healed_ instead of killing— guess what? That was valuable, expensive paste I used on you!— and he has the guts—or the idiocy, I can't tell— to say this is _my fault!"_ I took a deep breath, glaring up at him angrily. He blinked, seemingly dumbfounded for a moment. Twice, he attempted to say something, stopping before he even began speaking. Then he slid back down to the ground, staring at the lava. I sighed, slowly letting all the air out of my lungs. I sat back down, too, miserably staring at the floor. I don't know how long we sat there in silence, with him trying to control his breathing and me wishing I were somewhere else.

After a while, I began to toss rocks at the lava, watching as they plopped into the magma with a satisfying _plunk!_ Herobrine watched me do this from behind his knees, his eyes half open and dim. He'd curled up, wrapping his arms around his legs and nestling his head between his knees and his body.

Eventually, I stood. "This is stupid. We're just sitting here when we could be exploring those other tunnels. It's not like this is the only one."

Herobrine sighed. "They probably all end in lava. The smell of sulfur is thick here."

"Uh... maybe it's because you're sitting next to a pit of lava? It probably wouldn't smell so much if we moved away, but I don't know; it's just a thought."

Herobrine sneered. "What, do you think I'm thick? Even before we traveled down this tunnel I could smell it. I could smell it through the stench of your paste. Trust me, I have experience."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to explore on my own." Herobrine made no motion to stand, and I frowned. Then I turned and walked away from the lava pit and back into the dark, cold tunnel. "You'll just be killed by a Mob," Herobrine called. I ignored him, focusing instead on the sound of my footsteps as they echoed throughout the caves.

"At least it'll be good riddance!"

I huffed. What a jerk. At least he wasn't killing me. _I wonder why he's allowed me to be rude back to him?_ I wondered.

After returning to the intersection, I immediately headed for the tunnel opposite the one I'd just exited, straining my eyes to see into the darkness. Turns out, that tunnel ended in lava, too. So did the next four, one of which was full of mutilated Mob remains. That left three tunnels to explore. As I was exploring the first of those three, a white light steadily grew behind me, and I turned to see Herobrine silently stalking along after me, his face devoid of expression. I accepted his company without comment, instead continuing my search. As soon as I saw the now painfully familiar orange glow at end of the tunnel, I groaned. Then I turned and marched right past Herobrine without giving him a second glance. The next tunnel went farther than the others had, and I began to feel a little hopeful. At last, it opened up into a more spacious cave, and I heard a little sigh from Herobrine. He jogged right to the center of the cave, a look of relief on his face. While he did his own weird thing, I began to walk along the edge of the cave, searching for another exit. I found a little gap in the far side of the cave, and I attempted to squeeze through, suddenly finding myself at the bottom of a large, closed off ravine. A layer of stone up at the top sealed me in like the lid of a jar meant for keeping bugs in, and I sighed. Then, just because there's already been a ton of sighing in this chapter, I sighed again.

Somewhat hopeful, I began to stroll along the ravine, listening for Mobs. It was dead silent, and I began to feel a bit uneasy. Why was it that in this huge network of pitch black caves and tunnels, I had only seen one Mob; a creeper, and that was much closer to the surface? It was strange, and it made me nervous. Maybe it was because of Herobrine. But where would all the Mobs go to? _They must be exiting somewhere._ With that thought, I began to search for new tunnels more thoroughly, running my hands along the wall in case I missed an opening in the darkness. The uneasy feeling in my stomach became heavier, and I looked around nervously. The silence seemed to press in on my ears, and the darkess seemed to weigh down on my skin, making it hard to press forward.

"I think we're being watched."

I jumped at the voice, whirling to see Herobrine simply standing behind me, staring at me blankly. I put a hand to my heart, breathing deeply. "You scared me to death!"

"That's my job, and besides the point."

I scowled at that, glancing around. "What d'you mean 'we're being watched?' There's nobody, nothing at all even, here." Herobrine shook his head. "I disagree. I have a knack for picking up on other presences, and there's something observing us."

Nervously, I scooted closer to him, and he stepped back. I glared, once again trying to scoot closer. Again he backed away, and I huffed. "Don't you ever watch any movies?! Girls are supposed to get to snuggle up to the big, strong guy when something creepy happens!"

"Why would you want that?"

"I... uh... Just shut up! You're so impossible!"

Since he was being difficult, I drew my sword instead, watching as a little, lone Enderflake floated down from above. "Huh." Two more followed that, and Herobrine glanced upwards, suddenly backing away. Something bright purple dripped onto the ground in front of me, and, disturbed, I slowly looked up.

Hanging way up there from the ceiling like a giant, gangly spider, was a single Enderman, staring at right at me with bright purple eyes. Immediately, I closed my eyes, but I heard no scream of rage, felt no claws ripping into my skin as vengeance for the insult. Confused, I opened my eyes again, staring at the Enderman. It seemed rather unperturbed, instead remaining where it was and staring at me.

"Start backing away slowly. Now." Herobrine hissed.

"But I have a swor—"

"No! Trust me, a sword is the last thing you want pull out. Now back away."

A bit unnerved, I began doing as he said, even as the Enderman's head twisted unnaturally, following my movements. Bright purple saliva dripped from its mouth, falling to splat on the stone floor. Then it began to rapidly crawl across the ceiling and down the wall, and goosebumps broke out across my skin. "What is it doing?" My voice cracked, and I began to back away rather quickly. Herobrine furrowed his brow. "I didn't know they could do that... maybe pick up the pace a little bit, kid."

I broke into a run, and the Enderman suddenly released its grip on the wall, dropping to the floor. Then it glared at us, and my eyes widened. Something was seriously wrong with this Enderman.

For one thing, its pupils had dilated to thin slits, making the eyes look reptilian. Its fanged mouth gaped open, and the glowing purple saliva of Ender creatures leaked from one side of its mouth. Its body seemed far too thin to be normal, even for Endermen, and it stared at us with an intensity that seemed unnatural. "Herobrine...?"

"You might want to start running. Like, right this second."

An odd throbbing noise filled the ravine, and the Enderman stood. "Now," Herobrine urged, a strange tone to his voice. He stared at the Enderman for a moment, then turned and raced out of the cavern. Startled, I just stood there for a moment, and then the Enderman screamed— a horrible, reverberating noise I'd never heard in my life.

It lunged forward, and I took off, sprinting after Herobrine, towards the little hole that led to the cavern. The thing chased after me, scrambling along on all fours like some corrupted lizard. It was fast, faster than any other Enderman I'd seen, and I forced myself through the gap, ignoring the new bruises and cuts I received from the action. The Enderman screamed again, cramming its body through the gap with an energy that frightened me. Before it could escape, a large boulder slammed down on its back, and it shrieked, pinned to the floor.

"C'mon," Herobrine roared. "That won't hold it for long!"

Not needing any encouragement, I tore after him, and we raced back to the intersection. I could already hear another scream as the Enderman broke free, along with the wild sounds of its pursuit. Herobrine led me down the last tunnel, and not even a few feet in, I could see the light of lava ahead. We careened right up to the edge, and Herobrine glanced around, wrenching my pickaxe right out of my bag. "Get back," he commanded. I did as he asked, and he began to slam the pickaxe into the rock wall, breaking it open. Excavating the area as much as he could, he peered inside, and I tapped his shoulder urgently. He glared. "What?"

"It's coming!"

I could hear it skittering along the tunnel, and Herobrine's eyes widened. Then his grabbed me and shoved me into the new hole, blocking it up as soon as I was in. Then I heard a _plop!,_ and everything went silent for a moment. Suddenly, there was a strained, raspy wheezing, and the clicking noise of claws on stone. A bright purple eye suddenly pressed itself against the cracks in the stone Herobrine had put back up, and I squeezed my own eyes shut, trying to control my breathing.

Silence.

After what seemed an eternity, I heard the sounds of the Enderman leaving, and I finally gathered the courage to peek. The Enderman was crawling away from the tunnel, making strange chittering sounds as it went. Unsure if it was safe to come out, I stayed where I was for another ten minutes. Then I began to worry I was wasting my only opportunity to escape, so I pushed and shoved at the stone until it fell out. I emerged nervously, looking around for both the Enderman and Herobrine. There was a slurp from behind me, and I turned to look at the pit of lava. I could see Herobrine's head popping out of the magma, and he seemed to be struggling.

"Is it gone?" I asked hopefully. He nodded. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Let's find a way out of here."

He just sat there in the lava, looking rather sheepish.

"What? What's wrong?"

"My foot seems to be caught underneath the stone," he muttered. I blinked. "Oh... uh... do you want me to pull you out?"

"You'll burn. Most human bodies were not created to withstand molten rock."

"Well, what do you want me to do, genius? Leave you there?"

"Shove that chunk of rock over, and I can use it to pull myself out."

"W-wait. Won't your clothes be... like, burned off?" I asked nervously. He made a face. "All my clothes are fireproof."

I walked over to the piece of cave wall lying on the floor, bending down to begin shoving at it. Once I'd gotten it to the edge of the pit, I paused, briefly listening for any telltale sounds of the Enderman. All was silent, except for the slosh of lava as Herobrine grabbed onto the rock. Then he began bucking his body, trying to free his foot. Suddenly, he flew upwards, smacking his head on the low ceiling of the cave. "Gah!" He fell to the floor, his skin glowing a warm orange color. It quickly cooled, and he pulled himself to his feet.

Then he reached for my bag, and I drew away. When he tried a second time, I scowled. "Hey, that's my stuff! Can you maybe try asking for whatever it is you want?" His eyes knitted together. "Ask? I don't ask. Why should I?"

"Because I'm not giving you squat until you ask, no matter how scary you are."

Herobrine cocked his head, baffled. "Why are you not afraid of me anymore? Do you not realize how dangerous I am? You should be treating me with... with respect and awe."

I choked. "Respect? For a killer? I don't think so. And besides, I saved your hideous behind, pal. If you killed me, you'd be a total loser."

"That's terrible logic."

"I don't care. You owe me."

"I just saved you from that Enderman! I could've let you die!"

"And I could've let you be trapped in that lava forever until that Enderman came back and finished you off! So we're even!"

He snarled, and I shook my head. "You are being ridiculous. Just give me your bag!"

"Not until you ask!"

Herobrine smacked his mouth, a look of disgust on his face.

"...Do you have any water? Being fireproof dehydrates me."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're not naturally fireproof?"

He shook his head. "It takes energy, like most of my powers."

"Oh."

I'd never thought about that before. I'd always just assumed that he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, with no price tag attached.

I pulled out one of the two water bottles I still had left, and he downed it all in one gulp. "Do you have more?"

"Well, I do, but it's my last one. We need to conserve it. I didn't know you were going to drink that whole bottle. Once this bottle's gone, we'll be out of water."

He reached for it. "So what? My throat hurts like it's on fire."

I pulled away. "Just hold on. We need to figure out how to escape first, unless you want to die of thirst." Herobrine frowned, but stopped grabbing at it.

"You need ideas for escaping? There's always that lava down by that second tunnel. There's no telling where that Enderman went, though."

"Speaking of which, what was wrong with that thing? I've never seen an Enderman like that before."

Herobrine shook his head. "No idea. A few months ago, I was visiting Shahree, and she was acting a little strange."

"Shahree?"

"Ah. The Ender Dragon. I named her Shahree. Anyways, it only got worse after that, and soon it was evident she was sick. Naturally, if the Dragon suffers, so do the Enderman. They're connected. I've started avoiding them since one tried to kill me. I've always been a friend to the End realm, so I don't know what could inspire them to attempt to slay me."

That explained a lot about what I'd read in his journal. "Strange," I replied, not knowing what else to say. He simply nodded, and we began to head down the tunnel again. "Be quiet, and have your sword drawn at all times," he cautioned.

"But what about what you said about swords earlier?"

"No use now. It's already provoked."

Reaching for the razor sharp sword that hung at his hip, he crept along the tunnel, making no more noise than a cat stalking a creeper. I followed suit, wincing as my footsteps echoed through the tunnel.

Silently, we made our way to the second tunnel we'd explored here, but the Enderman never showed up. Standing at the edge of the lava, Herobrine ran a hand through his hair, breathing out slowly. I realized that the regen paste had burned off him back when he'd jumped into the lava, and I made a mental note to have him let me reapply it when I got the chance.

"So here's the thing," Herobrine began. "I could carry you to the other side of the lava, and we could check out what's on the other side. The problem is, if there's no escape, we're going to be in serious trouble. That's a lot of lava to cross right there, and I'm going to be seriously exhausted by the time we're across. If there's no source of water or no way to escape, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I still can't teleport, and I won't be able to for a few more hours. We could always wait here until I can, but there's the risk of that Enderman finding us again."

"So what you're saying is that we'd be taking a huge risk either way, right?"

"Yeah, but... I'll let you make the choice."

"Really? You're the one who'd be in danger if there turned out to be no water or anything on the other side."

"I'd be fine."

I thought for a moment, weighing my options. That Enderman had scared me like nobody's business, but somehow, despite Herobrine being super evil and rude and all, we'd been through enough that I didn't want him to have to suffer anymore. I sighed. "I think we should—"

A shriek sounded nearby, and I looked at Herobrine, alarmed. "It found us."

He nodded. "Looks like your choice has been made for you."

The sounds of the Enderman coming our way urged me to move closer to Herobrine, and he suddenly scooped me up bridal style. Leaning over the lava, he gave me a look. "Please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times, and we take no responsibility for any injuries, including being incinerated into nothing."

With that lovely comment, he slid into the waist-high lava, and I clung to him, keeping my body as far above the lava as possible. The Enderman came flying around the corner, coming to a screeching halt as it stared at the lava. Reaching out a bony, clawed hand, it screamed, pacing back and forth at the edge of the lava. A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I clung tighter. "What if it teleports to the other side?"

"From what I've observed, they're too sick to teleport properly. I'd say we're pretty safe now."

Somewhat calmer, I fell quiet, keeping my arms tightly wrapped around his neck. The lava got deeper, enough that it was but an inch from touching my body. The journey seemed to take forever, possibly due to the fact that I was in constant peril of burning up and dying a horrible death.

Finally, we reached the end, and he staggered out, releasing me just before he collapsed. "Whoa!"

I bent down, touching his cheek with my finger. Though we were out of the lava and his skin had returned to its normal color, it was still incredibly hot and dry, even cracked in some places. "Uh, here." I pulled out the water bottle, uncorking it and trickling it into his open mouth. He swallowed, smacking his lips. "That was a bad idea," he grumbled. I gave him the rest of the water, then stood while he simply lay where he was.

"I'll go find some water, ok? You stay right there."

I ran off, listening for the telltale sound of water flowing or splashing. It was fairly quiet, which worried me, but I noticed that the cave began to veer upwards, which was a good sign. After ten minutes of searching and still no water, I decided to go back and bring him along, in case there was an escape somewhere.

I ran back to the cavern where he lay, staring at him. He looked up at me tiredly, and I gently tugged at his arms. "Come on, get up! The cave starts going upwards!" Gulping, he forced himself to get to his feet, staggering around for a moment. Then I grabbed his arm, dragging him along. His skin was hot enough it made my hand uncomfortable, but I ignored the pain, tugging and encouraging him.

For a long time, we walked upwards, not really sure of where we were going. At one point, he started coughing and fell down on his knees. A trickle of smoke escaped his mouth, making him look a bit like a dragon about to breathe fire. I gasped. "Are you ok?" He grimaced, spitting out a few puffs of smoke. "I'm fine. I've handled worse than this. It's only a big deal because I'm injured and out of energy. That's why I was sleeping back in that other cave. My body would handle this better if I had gotten the rest I needed."

He gave me an accusing stare, and I threw my hands up. "I thought you were some random guy dying in a cave. I was trying to help."

Herobrine shook his head, apparently not deigning to reply.

He lay there for a while, and I became nervous. It wasn't good to let him just lie there. He needed water. Luckily, it was cool in the caves, but it was also dry as a bone.

"Come on, I think I can hear water trickling up ahead," I lied. He staggered back to his feet and began following me again, scowling.

"I don't hear any water," he announced.

"Uh... you're just too thirsty to focus on it. It's kind of distant."

Herobrine sighed, trudging up the endless hill alongside me. There were still no monsters, but I accepted that fact gratefully. I didn't know how much help Herobrine would be in a fight right now, if he even helped at all.

At least he was walking on his own. The guy was heavy; it was almost like he ate iron for breakfast. My stomach growled at the thought, and I realized that I had no idea when I last ate. I searched through my bag, slumping in disappointment when I found nothing but a carrot top. Herobrine glanced at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Hungry?"

I nodded, and he reached into a bag that hung at his own side, withdrawing an apple. He stared at it for a moment, and I thought he was gonna eat it in front of me, just to be cruel. Then he shrugged, carelessly dropping it in my hand. I blinked.

"Why didn't you eat this earlier? It has juice in it!"

"Not nearly enough. I'd rather have saved it for when I was actually hungry."

"What, is it poisoned?"

"That's a cowardly way to kill somebody. If I was gonna kill you, I'd let you know."

"Uh... thanks?"

"You are welcome."

I cocked my head, suspicious of the idea that he was just being nice.

"Are you sure you don't want this?"

"Of course I want it," he growled. "But I don't want to feel indebted to you. Eat it. For healing me."

"But you already—"

He growled, a frighteningly animalistic sound, so I ate the apple, staring at the ground. "Did you make your eyes brighter or something?"

"No. Why?"

"I think there's light up ahead!" I exclaimed excitedly. He peered ahead, brushing away some smoke drifting up from his left shoulder.

"Maybe," he replied doubtfully. I broke into a jog, the hope that I could escape overcoming my fatigue. Herobrine, however, continued along at the same pace he'd been going the whole time, rubbing at his throat and licking his lips.

Sure enough, though it was far ahead, there was some light. "Finally!" Herobrine shook his head. "That doesn't look like natural light to me. Looks like torchlight. And I think I see a door carved into the wall."

"You're just hallucinating. It's natural light and we're about to escape!"

We trudged along until we came to the source of light: a torch. I frowned. "Well, that's—"

"Look. A railroad."

I turned at his slurred words, and sure enough, there was a railroad leading into the darkness. "If we follow it, maybe we can find a way out!"

Herobrine yawned, an action that showed off his four abnormally sharp canine teeth. "Wha'ever."

After that, we followed the railroad in silence for what must've been hours. Herobrine was apparently a lot tougher than he looked, because even though he had what appeared to be the beginning of a serious fever, a head injury, various bruises and scrapes, and apparently intense fatigue and dehydration problems, he kept going, acting almost normal except for the occasional, slight stumble.

When we finally exited the cave, I almost didn't even realize what'd happened. I had fallen into this sort of trance, focusing only on taking the next step. Then we suddenly burst out into the open night air, and I blinked at the glittering stars in the sky above. "We're out!" I exclaimed happily. I turned to see his reaction, but he just stood there, blinking. "Out?"

He didn't seem to understand what I'd said, and I became a little disturbed. There was still a little trickle of smoke drifting up from his mouth, and his eyes seemed glazed over, as if he didn't quite register what was going on. "...Herobrine?"

"I... I don't feel so good..." He swooned, and I ran to catch him. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he went limp, falling to the floor. "Creepers and phantoms, are you alright?! ...Do I have to carry you all the way home?!"

He just lay there. The poor guy had apparently pushed himself too hard and passed out. Either that or Herobrine was just a pansy. Looking around, I searched for my home, eyeing some specks of light in the distance. I felt rather exhausted and sick myself, but I could make it to the village.

I began the long process of dragging him there, muttering and grumbling to myself the whole time.

The brilliant colors of dawn were already streaking the sky by the time I made it, and I tiredly headed for my house. When I got to the door, I kicked it open, intending to simply pull him along behind me. He didn't fit through the door jam in the position he was in, and I frowned, wondering how to get him through. I tugged as hard as I could from inside the house, and he simply stayed where he was, saliva trickling from his mouth. "Come— on!"

I pulled harder, and he burst through the door, bringing along with him a huge chunk of the door. "...I'll fix that later." I yanked him towards the couch, flopping his limp body on its cushions. After a few moments of debating whether or not he'd be fine for the night, I gave up, lying down on the large leather beanbag across the room. I fell asleep within moments, too tired to worry about anything at all.

* * *

 **(Hey, an alternate ending is below if you wanted more humor!)**

 **Ok, sorry for the sucky chapter.** **Wrote this one when I was really tired and sick, and I was too lazy to rewrite it... despite that, I hope you enjoyed it!** **I know there wasn't a ton of humor and stuff, but there's gonna be some frightening stuff in this fanfiction, because where's the fun in a plot where nothing exciting ever happens? And anyway, I'll be back to writing more humor next chapter. ;)**

 **And here's the alternate ending! Me and my siblings thought it was a hilarious idea, and I couldn't resist having it there r you to read.**

* * *

Alternate Ending: I Never Said

* * *

I searched through my bag, slumping in disappointment when I found nothing but a carrot top. Herobrine glanced at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Hungry?"

I nodded, and he reached into a bag that hung at his own side, withdrawing an apple. He stared at it for a moment, and I thought he was gonna eat it in front of me, just to be cruel. Then he shrugged, carelessly dropping it in my hand. I blinked.

"Why didn't you eat this earlier? It has juice in it!"

"Not nearly enough. I'd rather have saved it for when I was actually hungry."

"What, is it poisoned?"

"That's a cowardly way to kill somebody. If I was going to kill you, I'd let you know."

I sighed, biting the apple happily. Then I gasped. Herobrine watched as I keeled over, flopping to the floor. My vision began to darken, and I choked, looking up at him with a feeling of betrayal. He shrugged.

"I never said I wasn't a coward."

With that, he turned and hurtled off into the gloom, cackling all the way. _Well, this must've been a lame story,_ I thought sadly, even as my existence came to an end.

*Dies*

The end. **Note: The time you spent reading this is non-refundable, and I thank you for reading this relatively stupid alternate ending.**

* * *

 **Anyway... uh...**

 ***Checks script***

 **Oh, yeah. Have a good day, review, fav, and follow! Oh, and don't let Hero demonstrate flame throwing for you; or your house will burn down just like mine did!**

 ***Sobs***

 **Read you later, everyone!**

 **-Mirror**


	6. Chapter 6: Waking Up Shirtless

**Chapter 6: Pretty Much Just Waking Up Shirtless.**

 **Wow. A week and a day late. What're authors coming to these days?!**

 **So sorry for the delay; hopefully I can get back to full speed; there've been a few changes in my schedule, so I've been trying to adjust.**

* * *

-Herobrine-

* * *

"Urgh..."

I groaned softly, grimacing as a tremor of pain ran up and down my body. _Wha— where am I? What's going on?_ The surface I lay on was warm and soft, and something was draped over my body, keeping me uncomfortably warm. My fingers twitched, brushing a scratchy, woolly material that reminded me of a sheep. My body ached all over, and my throat burned, making me swallow in an attempt to soothe it. My thoughts wandered for a minute, as disorganized and confusing as my situation. Then it all came rushing back to me. _The cave. The Enderman. The darkness. No escape._

"GAH!" I yelped, bolting upright. Someone screamed, and then I was whacked in the face hard enough to send me right back to the ground. Or rather, the pillow. I blinked, stunned, as whoever had screamed gasped. "Oh creepers, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you!"

I just lay there, staring at my surroundings as the idiot continued to whine apologies. I lay in a bed, in a darkened room with wooden jars and bowls lying all over the place. An open door let a soft light into the room, and dried paste covered most of my exposed upper body. The air was thick with the dizzying, almost sickening smell of herbs, and it was quite warm. My skin gleamed with sweat, and some of the stuff trickled down my forehead. My eyebrows drew together, and I frowned, not happy to wake up like this a second time.

I glanced over at the person, and the frown turned into a dark scowl. "I— you— I've had enough of you," I rasped. My throat screamed in protest, and I gulped in pain. The girl gave me a little frown and shook her head. "Don't be like that. You passed out— as in, you went unconscious, tough guy— and I had to drag you a whole chunk to my house. And then put up with your smell for three days."

"Three _days?"_ I croaked, ignoring my throat.

"Yeah. Three. Days."

Curiously, I lifted my arm and pressed my nose against my armpit, then sniffed. "Ye Withers," I gagged, immediately lowering my arm, couching. The girl let out a laugh, and I huffed. "You think it's funny?"

"Yes," She cackled. I cocked my head. _Well, at least she's honest,_ I decided. I forced myself to sit up again as she chuckled. Then I reached out and shoved her off the bed, and she shrieked, abruptly ending the bout of laughter. My mouth twitched upwards in a smile of grim satisfaction as she flailed around on the floor.

Then I swung my legs over to hang off the edge of the bed, and the girl popped up near me. "I wouldn't get out of bed if I were you," she suggested. I rolled my eyes. "Of course you wouldn't. You're more pathetic than a silverfish."

I stood, and a sense of vertigo overcame me, making me swoon. I almost fell over, but I caught myself. Or rather, she caught me. She shoved me back into bed, and I scowled. "Don't touch me, human." She rolled her eyes, then reached out a finger and poked my shoulder. "I said don't touch me."

 _Poke._

I glared at her, then caught her finger next time she tried to prod at me. "This isn't a game," I growled. "Don't forget who you're playing with." She grimaced in pain, trying to pull her finger away, and I grudgingly released it.

I should've been much, much angrier, but somehow, a lot of my previous hatred towards her had mellowed out. After all, not everybody would help nurse me back to health, especially right after I killed one of their friends. All the same, I thought she was being rather reckless with how she interacted with me.

She was staring at me now, and I cocked an eyebrow, glaring back.

"What're you lookin at, human?"

She blinked. "Stop calling me that."

"Why? Are you not human? Is it not appropriate for me to call you that?"

"Of course I'm human, but I have a name, and I prefer to be called that."

"You prefer to be called 'That?'"

"Yeah."

"That is a terrible name, but if you insist."

"What? I didn't even tell you my name!"

"Yes, you did. 'That.'"

She sighed, sticking her hand out. "I'm Ellie, actually," she introduced. I glanced at her hand, briefly wondering what she wanted with me. If she was expecting money or something, she wasn't getting it. "I don't care. And I'm not paying you."

"What? No, I thought you were—"

Suddenly growing tired of being near her, I turned away from her, reaching for the window. Shoving aside the curtains, I let out a hiss as the harsh sunlight met my eyes. Then I grabbed the edge of the window, yanking upwards. As soon as the window was open I moved to climb out it, but Ellie suddenly reached out and shut it, and I glowered. Then I opened it again, and she shut it. "Stop," I snarled.

"You're not fully healed. My job as a healer is to ensure you're back to full health before letting you leave!"

"Yeah? Well, my job as Herobrine is to ensure that I do what I want, _when_ I want, and dispose of anybody who suggests otherwise."

The little brat finally tired of shutting the window over and over, so she just reached out and shoved me down against the mattress. My eyes narrowed in anger. Whether she'd healed me or not, I'd had enough. I let out a growl, and Ellie backed away.

"You treat me with respect, or I'll teach you respect," I threatened. Ellie, to my immense surprise, grabbed her sword from out of her inventory, along with a couple tiny, strange arrows. "You should respect me, actually," she snapped. "Who saved your idiotic butt twice after you tried to kill me?! Who put up with your stupid remarks the whole time we were in the cave, and let you drink all her water? Me! I should've earned your respect, not the other way around. What respect does a killer deserve? What respect does a griefer and someone who enjoys the pain of others deserve? I'll tell you: none!"

Anger welled up in my chest, and I tensed, on the verge of attack. "I don't enjoy the suffering of others, you idiot! They simply deserve what's coming to them! As do you!"

"No, what I deserve is a grateful thank you and a cookie!"

"I'm gonna show you what a cookie looks like in a second!"

"Well, that's good, because I'm hungry."

I sprang to my feet, lunging for her sword. Then, the moment the dizziness overcame me, she jumped at me, plunging one of the tiny arrows into my skin. I yelped, but the yelp turned into a groan as my legs suddenly gave out, and I fell down to the ground, my face pressed against the wood.

Confused, I tried to get up, but my body didn't respond. _Huh?!_ I tried again, but nothing happened. My fingers didn't so much as twitch. It was as if my body had given up on me, leaving me to this nasty little pest who could now do with me what she wanted.

I couldn't see her, but I could hear her huffing at me. "You know what? You must think I'm dumber than a zombie if you thought I didn't have a back-up plan. I'm a brewer, buddy. I know how to do all sorts of things to you without even having to touch you."

I wanted to ask her what she'd done, but my mouth refused to work, so instead I just moaned, sounding like a tired zombie. "You deserve it, you know." Then she grabbed me and rolled me over, and I did my best to give her a heart attack with my eyes. She just glared back, and I exhaled sharply. She tried to lift me back into the bed, but nothing really happened, and I could hear her grunting from the effort. "Phantoms, you are _heavy!"_

I ignored her. The paralyzing venom— as that's what I assumed it was— was so strong I couldn't even blink, and my eyes were already itchy and watery. If the venom had been any stronger, I might have been in danger of my lungs locking up. My throat began to burn from lack of swallowing, and I held back a groan, refusing to acknowledge that she got me.

"I would reverse the effect, but I don't trust you." She deliberately fingered the hilt of her sword, and I glared as best I could. "See? A look like that isn't what peaceful thoughts look like."

 _Creepers! I hate this person!_

Then she walked up and began examine my neck, arms, and chest, and I stared at her in confusion. She glanced at my eyes, then reached out and slid my eyelids shut. I breathed a sigh of relief, and I heard her mumbling to herself for a minute. Then she began to prod at my body, and I grunted in surprise.

"Relax, Sir Salty, I'm just checking up on your injuries."

 _Sir Salty?!_

I grunted more insistently, and she gave my cheek a quick pat. "Chill, ok? You're lucky I'm willing to heal you in the first place. It turns out you had quite a few broken ribs, and I honestly don't know how you acted like nothing was wrong the whole time we were in that cave. Although you did pass out when we got out. Oh, that reminds me, are you thirsty? Or hungry? I couldn't really tell when you were unconscious, so I had to guess how much to feed you."

She waited politely for an answer, and I just lay there, thinking about how stupid she was. After a moment, she apparently realized the problem, because she suddenly chuckled. "Oh, sorry, I forgot. That was silly of me."

 _No, that was nasty of you._

I decided to ignore her annoying presence by thinking about all the things I'd rather be doing right now, instead of lying here. _I could be collecting leaves, or eating somebody else's cake, or playing with Tyler—_

 _Oh, crud._

"MMMMF!"

I'd forgotten about him! _It's been three days! He could be starving! Or eaten by Mobs! Or met with some other horrible fate!_ Slightly panicked, I started making as much noise as I could.

"Whoa, what's wrong?!"

I became more insistent, and she slid my eyelids back up. "What?!"

"MMMMMMMMMMFFFFFFFF!"

Concernedly, she went over and got a teeny little glass and filled it with a bit of milk. Then she came over to me and tipped the glass, dumping its contents into my mouth. Suddenly, I could blink, and a tightness in my chest that I didn't know was there loosened. I began struggling as much as I was able, but that still wasn't very much. "There's something I need to take care of! Give me more milk!" I demanded.

"What? What's so important?! Look, if this is a trick, then—"

"IT'S NOT A TRICK!" I roared. She blinked, then reluctantly got me more milk, keeping her free hand on her sword.

The moment my body loosened up, I jumped up, fell back down again, and then got back up. I leapt out the window and raced for home, knowing that I was unable to teleport at the moment. Ignoring the sharp pain in my side, I dodged and wove around trees, anxious for a reason I didn't know. I hadn't been able to find Tyler's village in the two days before the cave-in, and I had a strange, sick feeling in my gut that I hadn't felt for a long time.

I'd actually grown to kind of like the little guy. He was cute, and for the most part, sweet. Besides, he was just a little kid, and I wasn't entirely devoid of human emotion. My house poked into view, and I slowed, breathing deeply. _The Wither curse that cave-in! And that girl!_ I rubbed at my ribs, mentally telling them to man up and let me run.

I jogged the rest of the way to my house, grabbing the doorknob. To my surprise, it was locked. _What the—? Who locked my door?!_ I twisted it, and the knob broke, falling to the floor with finger-shaped dents in its sides. Then I kicked the door open, my eyes already searching for a small, destructive boy. Instead, there was a man standing there in the middle of my kitchen, coldly glaring back at me with his blue eyes. His tousled brown hair cast shadow over one eye, giving him an ominous look, and he wore clothes strikingly similar to mine, only his weren't shredded apart.

"Steve," I growled.

"Herobrine," Steve replied in a low voice.

"What are you doing in my house?"

"No, the question is, what's a little boy no older than eight doing in your house?!"

"You mean Tyler? Have you seen him?! Is he ok?" The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it, and Steve raised a brow. "'Is he ok?' What sort of question is that, coming from you?!"

"That's none of your business, brother."

"It _is_ my business. My job is to protect people from the likes of you, and as far as I'm concerned, you kidnapped a little boy and then vanished for almost a week. You need to explain yourself, or things will get ugly."

"Ugly? You mean you're planning your death nowadays? Get out of my house."

"Not until you tell me why the Nether you kidnapped a little kid for no apparent reason other than entertainment."

"I thought you knew me," I taunted. "Isn't everything about entertainment when it comes to me?"

"Stop playing games. You know I can fight you, and I will. Besides, you're not looking so good right now."

"GET OUT!" I shrieked, suddenly furious. Both my throat and my ribs flared with pain, which I ignored. "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU WANT. GET OUT BEFORE I MAKE YOU!"

Steve shook his head, deadly calm. "As I said, I'm willing to—"

"Hero?"

The small voice came from the stairway, and Steve and I jumped, glancing at the source. Tyler, his hair flopping in his face, blinked sleepily.

"Tyler?! Hey, bud, how're you doing?"

"I'm sleepy. Hero, why did you run away? And why did a new Hero come?"

I relaxed, the anger that had been coiling up inside me dispensing. "I didn't run away, bud; I got stuck somewhere. And that's my brother. His name is Steve."

"Oh. I knew that."

"Why don't you go back upstairs, Ty?"

"Why were you being mad?"

"I wasn't. I was... exercising my voice. Just go back to playing upstairs or whatever, ok, squirt?"

"...Ok. I wanna finish my nap. Will you play with me after my nap?"

"Of course I will, bud."

The little guy toddled back up the stairs, yawning the whole way. Once he was gone, I turned back to Steve. Steve glared back, confusion and uncertainty evident in his gaze. "Well, I can see that he's fine, so I'll thank you to leave," I stated, much calmer than I'd been before. Steve scowled. "Why, though? Why did you take him away? He has parents, and they're probably—"

"I didn't!" I finally snapped, sick of his accusing. I just wanted to lie down, and Steve was the only thing in the way of that. "He was lost in the woods, so I brought him back here so he wouldn't starve to death or be mauled be a bunch of senseless Mobs! There, I told you, now get. Out!"

Steve paused. "Lost? Really? So you're not the one who made him lost?"

The pain in my side suddenly spiked, and I hissed, baring my teeth. "Out!" I rasped. Steve just stood there, unmoved. "What happened to you, anyway? It's not often that I see you looking beat up like this. Also, where's your shirt?"

I shoved past him, making sure to push as hard as I could. Then I collapsed on the couch, holding back a groan. _Just gimme a minute, and I'll get that healing potion I hid under my bed,_ I promised myself. I focused on my breathing, holding very still and being careful not to nudge my injured side. _How many ribs did I break, exactly?_ I reflected on the panic I'd felt when that boulder had crushed me, and the brief, harsh spike of pain that had ripped through me when it happened. I'd pushed the pain aside then, as there was no time for it. Now that I was in a safe place, my body was being very clear with me about how unhappy it was.

I heard Steve sigh, and I grit my teeth. _That's enough lying around._ I pulled myself to my feet, groaning. Then I began to tiredly make my way towards the stairs. Steve just watched me, which I ignored completely, acting as if he didn't even exist. I began pulling myself up the stairs, one by one, holding my breath as if that would help me somehow. Whenever I stumbled, my ribs would flare with pain, and I began to grind my teeth in determination. _Once I'm upstairs, I can get the potion. That potion will fix all this,_ I told myself.

At long last, I finally reached the top, and I sank down to the floor in relief. Then I got back up and began trudging to my bed quietly. I could see Tyler bundled up in a pile of blankets on a nearby bed, and I didn't want to disturb him. When I got to my bed, I dropped to my knees, reaching under the bed to grope around for the glass bottle I knew was there.

My fingers brushed something hard, dusty, and cold, and, happily, I withdrew the little hot pink potion. _You're about to solve most of my problems,_ I thought to it. Then I uncorked it and chugged it down, making a face as the potion began to work its magic, making my whole body feel both tingly and achy. My throat practically sang with relief, and I sighed, rubbing at it gently. Smacking my mouth at the unpleasant aftertaste of the potion, I slid the bottle back under the bed. Then I crawled under the covers, intending to go to sleep so that when I woke up, I'd feel fine.

There was a scuffle from the stairway, and I jerked my head up, glaring over at Steve as he unsuccessfully tried to sneak upstairs. He stared at me for a moment, and I shook my head warningly at him. He shrugged, turning to go back down to the main floor. I already knew what he wanted to say: _we're going to talk about this later._

 _And we will._

 _...But not right now._

I nestled down deeper under the covers, sighing with relief as my body continued to heal itself. Of course, given time, I could've healed on my own, but I needed to be well rested and nourished for that. Every single one of my powers required a lot energy, and quick healing was considered one of them. That's why I ate so much. No food or water equaled either weak powers or no powers at all.

It had been rather stupid of me to not drink for such an extended time period. Normally, I drank nearly several gallons a day, but I'd become so tired and distracted caring for Tyler that I'd neglected both that and sleep, until I finally decided to slip away and sleep in the cave, intending to get water when I woke up. Then, of course, came that little jerk. Who I had to spend the entirety of my captivity in the cave with. _Why did she heal me?_ I wondered _. She knows I'm in no way friendly to her... And she's in no way friendly with me, at least, I don't think she is. Is she? Why would she be? Ugh, stop thinking nonsense, Brine. She's not friendly. She must've done it because she thought she'd get something out of it. That's how they all are._

I huffed, annoyed. _Well, she's not getting anything out of it, except maybe the right to keep her life._ My eyelids began to droop, and I let them, ready to simply take a break from everything. As I fell asleep, I made a mental note to buy Steve repellent later, and if it didn't already exist, invent it.

* * *

 **So apparently I have a thing for ending chapters with characters falling asleep. Anyway, sorry for the cruddy chapter, I've been a little busy lately, *cough cough* -School!- *cough cough* and I didn't want to put off this chapter any longer. This one is less action and more tying up a few loose ends, anyway.**

 **Forgive me for, after taking a long break, posting a short, boring chapter that really doesn't make a whole ton of sense. \ (9.6) /**

 **The next chapter should be way more exciting, don't worry!**

 **-Mirror**


	7. Chapter 7: When All Is Silent

**Chapter 7: When All Is Silent**

 **...Hey guys. It's been a while, huh? Before I start apologizing, I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the kind reviews! It's been amazing to me that you guys actually enjoy reading this, and it motivates me to keep trying even when faced with grammar, writer's block, and all sorts of writing nightmares! Ok, now that that's been said, I can apologize.**

 ***ahem***

 **Sorry guys. The reason it's taking so long isn't a good one, but i do have a reason. Basically, I've had a bit of writer's block, and I didn't really know where to go with this chapter. Luckily, I think I figured out what it is that I'm going for, so I think things will be smoother sailing from here. So sorry I haven't been keeping up with the deadlines :/**

 **Enjoy the chapter, and don't kick me in the shins or I'll hunt you down! (That means YOU, Vmwvi!)**

* * *

-Herobrine-

* * *

So I was a babysitter now. It'd been four days since I'd returned to my house, marking a full week since the cave incident. I'd awoken the next morning to have a grumpy Tyler and an uncooperative Steve on my hands, and I had to spend at least an hour... er... "convincing" my brother to leave. Once he was gone, it'd been just me and Ty, and I'd been spending most of my time caring for him. It wasn't that bad, really, but it certainly didn't suit me and my constant thirst for adventure. At night, I would sneak out once he was asleep to roam the suddenly silent world until sunrise, at which point I'd resume caring for the boy. Don't get me wrong, Tyler was a sweet kid, and he did what I asked for the most part, but I longed to be elsewhere, to be free of any responsibilities and tasks required of me. He seemed to have a constant supply of energy, and worse, he was constantly chattering, talking about everything and nothing all at once.

It wore on my nerves, I'll admit.

Today was no different from the past four; he was playing while I picked up the gooey remains of the cheese pasta I'd fixed him for lunch. "Rawr! I'm a Ender Dagon!" Tyler giggled as he zoomed around the open house, arms outstretched on either side of him like wings. This seemed to be one of his favorite activities, to pretend to be something he wasn't. Whether he was an Ender Dragon, a fierce knight in gleaming armor, or a humble fisherman taking on sea monsters, the mansion was constantly filled with his squeals and laughter as he had adventures all by himself. I sighed, dumping the noodles into the sink. Casting a glance out the window, I watched as the sun began to sink down towards the earth again, turning the sky into a beautiful display of vibrant colors. The weather had been perfect all day, but did I get to go out and enjoy it like I should've? Nope. Instead, I had to stay indoors since Tyler didn't want to go out. What sort of child chooses to stay inside on a day like this instead of going outside to run around all day long? It didn't make sense to me.

I began trying to come up with a plan to get the kid outdoors, mulling over every inviting activity that he might want to participate in. "Rawr!" Tyler shrieked again, flapping his arms wildly as he pretended to fly around the house. I perked up. "Hey, Tyler," I called. Tyler 'roared,' veering towards me and snapping his little teeth together. "Want to go flying with me?"

Tyler screeched to a halt— literally— and stared up at me, confused. "Flying? Like a Ender Dragon?"

"Yeah! It'll be really fun!"

"Flying in real life?" He repeated, as if surprised at the idea— which he should be. I nodded my head. "Come on, Ty!" I sprinted outside, throwing my arms out as if to embrace the glorious, fresh air that I breathed in. Tyler soon followed after, and he watched me curiously, waiting for me to do something unusual. I held my hands out; an invitation for him to let me pick him up. He waddled over, and I scooped the boy up, hugging him close to my chest. "Ready?" I quizzed. Tyler bobbled his head, his fluffy hair bouncing with the motion.

I beamed. "Let's go!" Then I took off. Tyler squealed in both fear and excitement as I darted into the air, and I stifled both a grin and an exuberant shout as the light, tingly feelings that accompanied being airborne filled my limbs. Tyler gripped the folds of my shirt, the woolen cloth bunching up in his little fists. He looked around, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"We're flying!" He celebrated. I sucked in yet another deep breath of fresh, clean air, finally letting out a whoop. Tyler beamed at me, awe and wonder filling his big chocolate eyes. _This isn't so bad,_ I thought. It really wasn't. Although I wasn't accustomed to being kind or gentle to other people, it was easier with Tyler, what with his sweet innocence and all. I found myself relaxing a bit for the first time during daylight hours for the past week.

For a while, I simply flew, and he would outstretch his hands over and over again, giggling as the wind raced past his face and clouds tickled his fingertips. Soon, we flew over a small, rather unimportant village I hadn't seen in a while, and Tyler suddenly squealed, jolting me out of my thoughts. "What?!" I yelped, irritated. Tyler tugged my shirt excitedly. "I can see my house! Look how pretty it looks!"

"You what?!" I took a second glance, staring at the village. Small and rather insignificant looking, it seemed to be just an ordinary village, with a few crops here and there and a couple of golems sleeping, slumped against some houses. The only thing special about it was that it was walled in to protect itself from monsters, and a red banner hung from a poll near the large iron gates guarding the little civilization. What was it he had said about his home...? Didn't it have a fence and a 'blanket on a stick?' My eyes widened in realization, and I veered towards the village, Tyler tightening his grip on me yet again as I zoomed downwards. Only a few blocks from the ground, I slowed, darting back upwards to counter the momentum I'd gained. Then I dropped roughly onto the soft grass, executing a few quick hops until I came to a stop. Sighing, I set Tyler down, and he giggled, wobbling all over the place. I snorted, holding out a hand to steady him.

Once he could stand properly, I took his hand, striding towards the gates. Scanning for guards, I frowned. _Odd, if they fenced it in, shouldn't someone be at the gates to prevent monsters from entering?_ "People are so lazy these days," I murmured to myself. Tyler looked up at me, and I gave him a pat, ruffling his thick, curly hair. Then I crept behind one of the two large pillars that helped to hold the gate in place, peeking around the corner. Everything was quiet, which was strange. It may have been evening, but the sun was still up, shedding plenty of light on the streets— why wasn't the village bustling with activity? _No matter,_ I decided.

"Hey, Hero! I'm gonna tell Daddy about how I got to fly!"

I glanced up at the little voice. Tyler was chattering away, as per usual, while waddling towards the gates. I reached out and grabbed the back of his dirty white shirt, pulling him back to stand next to me. Then I checked to see if anyone was watching. _Just drop the kid off, and then leave._ I sped over to the gates, grabbing one of the two and shoving it to test if it was locked.

It swung open with an eerie groan, and Tyler shivered. "C'mon, bud," I invited, tugging his hand. He followed after me, and we walked into the quiet village. _Do they know I'm here? Are they hiding or something?_ I wondered. This wouldn't be the first time something like that had happened. Mages and Coders were constantly working on ways to thwart me, though none of their foolish ideas had worked as of yet. I knew a few of them had invented something like an alarm to tell when something powerful approached, and this alarm was what I had in mind as I mused over the reasons for the village's silence.

Now fully inside the village, I wove my way between the houses as I cut through the grass, aiming for the gravel road that ran between each home. As I rounded a last corner, the crunch of gravel met my ears, and I stepped onto the road.

—and bumped right into a sleeping iron golem. "GAH!" I yelped. The golem didn't move, instead continuing to slumber peacefully. Recovering from the shock, I stared up at the golem, confused. _Why didn't it wake up?_ They were supposed to have something like hypersensitive senses, similar to how I did, to better hunt down and kill threats. I tapped it on the arm, quickly retreating to a safe distance. Nothing happened, and I blinked in surprise.

More confused than wary now, I reached up and waved my hand in its face, tapping it on the nose. The golem still didn't move, so I clambered up onto its lap, foolishly lifting my arm to knock on its forehead, listening to the dull thunking noise as I did so. Tyler watched, unmoved. After the golem didn't respond when I poked it in the eye, I became a bit more concerned. Was it... dead?

I pressed an ear to its broad chest, listening for the sound of its core throbbing.

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

I sighed at the slow, steady thumping of the core as it sent out energy to the rest of the golem's body, keeping it alive. So it was alive, but unresponsive? An idea tickled the back of my mind, and I frowned disbelievingly. Then, to satisfy my curiosity, I pulled out my sword and gave the golem a small slash on one of its forearms, ignoring the tiny puff of smoke that drifted up from the wound. No response.

"No way..." I whispered.

Somebody had shut this golem down! When a golem either malfunctioned or was about to be killed, its creator could choose to put it in a state of inactivity, to either protect it or keep it out of the way. Any golems that were shut down wouldn't reactivate without the owner's permission and a powerful life source of some kind, which was a deterrent for anyone who felt tempted to do so. As far as I knew, nobody ever shut golems down, except when a golem rebelled or something like that. Most Crafters never even _saw_ a golem that had been shut down throughout their entire lives, it was so rare.

I slid off the golem, backing away. Tyler squinted at it, a little frown causing his forehead to wrinkle just a bit. "Why did you give him a boo-boo?" He inquired innocently. "He's sleeping!"

I blinked. "I... was... making sure he was sleeping well," I lied lamely. Tyler blinked. "Oh."

Turning to observe the rest of the village, I froze in alarm, staring at the three other golems in sudden realization. _Wait... if this one isn't asleep..._ "They're... they're all shut down?!" I gasped. What could cause Crafters— the lazy, ungrateful creatures they were— to do this? Most Crafters and Testificates relied heavily on the help and safety golems provided. To have _all_ of them shut down in one village...? That was just unheard of.

I turned away from them, gazing instead at a small cluster of homes. _Oh._ I'd almost forgotten what I came for. I crept over to the nearest house, pressing my face against the window. _Hopefully nobody's looking my way,_ I thought. My face always seemed to cause a rather large amount of undue alarm when seen pressed against windows. Which was often, as I was too curious to resist peeking in when I came across buildings with windows. _Hm..._

There was no one— no one that I could see, anyway— inside. The lights were out, and despite the sun only just beginning to officially set, I could only make out a few vague shapes scattered across the floor. I snuck over to the door, surprised to find it already wide open, exposing the inside of the house. Disconcerted, I frowned. _What Crafter is stupid enough to leave doors open? Mobs could just stroll right in! ...Something's going on here. This isn't right._ I shivered, small goosebumps breaking out across my flesh.

Then I crept in, and the room lit up with a gentle white light as my eyes scanned the area. Tyler followed me closely, hiding behind my long legs as he clutched some of the loose pant fabric in his little fists.

The house was quiet, the only noise being the soft, eerie whisper of the wind as it flowed into the house. A thick, musty smell filled the air, and a thin layer of dust coated everything, even a few cobwebs hanging in the corner. Things were messily strewn all across the floor, as if whoever had last been here had left in a hurry, and a couple chairs and a coffee table were shoved up against the walls. I roamed the whole house with Tyler in tow, and every floor had the same concerning signs of haste and carelessness as displayed on the first floor. To make things weirder, absolutely nobody was in the house, not even a pet of some sort.

Eventually, Tyler and I exited the house, and I proceeded to check out another one. This one was similar to the first, being completely empty and cluttered with things that were left just lying around.

We moved on to a third house, then a fourth, then a fifth. All yielded the same results. The silence seemed to press down on us, silence so strong it somehow seemed to be a sound of its own. A sick, heavy feeling had settled itself in my gut, and Tyler was sticking closer than ever, being sure not to get more than even a pixel or two away before clinging tightly onto my leg again.

 _What happened to this village?_ I wondered. _Where did everyone go?!_

I couldn't ignore the feeling that something was not what it seemed to be here. _Come on,_ I thought. _What could've happened?_ A few answers sprung to mind, none of which were satisfactory enough.

Me.

Famine or drought.

Entity 303.

Sickness.

Mob attacks.

Rumors that Steve was going to a village not far from here.

A couple of them were possibilities, were it not for several things. First of all, I already knew it wasn't my fault. I hadn't come to this village in a while, and had almost forgotten it existed. Then there were crops growing wild, springing up all over the place on a planty rampage. They were thriving, not dried out and yellowed as they should be in case of drought. It could be Entity 303, but he liked to advertise he'd been somewhere, and he usually left someone behind to tell the other villages. I would know if it was him. Not enough of the village was destroyed for it to make sense for mobs to have attacked, and besides, you don't shut a golem down when monsters are attacking. When it came to sicknesses, those took time to wipe out areas like this so fast. In no way did it seem possible for a sickness to wipe a civilization out so completely and so quickly. And, of course, Steve is stupid and not worth meeting. That's the end of that story.

 _So what happened, then?_ Suddenly, a rustle split the silence, startling me out of my thoughts and making Tyler shriek. I glanced around, searching for signs of a monster or another Crafter. A few hedges that grew alongside the fence were shaking, and I squinted, trying to see what it was. Tyler whimpered, moving to stand behind me.

"Stay here," I commanded, drawing my sword. Then I slunk forward, ready to attack whatever it was. The rustling stopped by the time I reached the hedges, and I leaned forward a bit in anticipation.

" _BAAAAAAAAAA!"_

"AAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!"

I swung the sword blindly, missing my target by a long shot. Then I calmed a bit and looked down, and my cheeks flushed as I realized what it was.

"A sheep?"

" _Baaaaaaa!"_

I chuckled in embarrassment. "It's just a sheep, Ty," I called to the frightened child. Turning back to the sheep, I put my sword away, thrusting my hands deep into my pockets. "'Lo there, sheeples."

The sheep bleated again, and I eyed it for a moment, raising a brow. The sheep's once pure white wool was dirtied and tangled, and a few patches were missing from various spots. It was rather beat up, especially for a sheep, and it was staring at me with an intensity I'd never seen in sheep before. I cocked my head, and the sheep took a step towards me, its legs stiff and unbending. It bared its teeth at me, and I huffed. "Great, so now the sheep has rabies," I remarked sarcastically. The sheep made an odd growling noise, a glint in its red eyes. I stared at it. _What in the world?! Red eyes?! Since when do sheep have red—_

" _BAAAAAA!"_

I slid out of the way as the sheep sprung. It crashed right into the ground, then got back to its feet, seemingly ignorant of the fact that it had just smashed its face into something. Then it charged again, and I easily dodged, refraining from finishing it off, as I wanted to observe it. I'd never seen a sheep act like this, not even one with rabies. Sheep weren't exactly aggressive creatures, so I was a bit disconcerted by the fact that, yes, a literal sheep was trying to kill me. After making a few more 'attacks'— if they can be called that— the sheep collapsed, most likely the result of using a fat, weak body to try taking down something several times its size. I shook my head at the sheep, glancing up at Tyler. He looked delighted for some reason, and he was trying to make his way down to where I stood. I jogged over to him, ignoring the sheep entirely. Then I scooped the boy up into my arms, and he giggled. "Can I play with the sheep, too?" He inquired hopefully. I blinked. He thought that was _playing?_

I shook my head. "Sorry, bud, but the sheep is so tired it needs a nap." What I said was probably true, unless the sheep's legs just randomly stopped working for whatever reason. Tyler sighed in disappointment. "Oh." I turned and went back into the village, intending to finish searching every home. The sheep wasn't nearly threatening enough for me to be concerned, so I intended to continue doing what I'd been doing before the sheep showed up. Tyler suddenly wriggled. "There it is! There it is!" He squealed.

"There's what?" I questioned.

"My house!"

I looked in the direction he was pointing, my heart sinking as my gaze came to rest on another darkened home. "...That?"

"Yeah, that's it! Let's go see, Hero! Maybe Mommy and Daddy are home!"

The corners of my mouth curved downwards, but I strode up to the house, already sure of what I would find. Sure enough, the first floor was dark and silent, small children's toys strewn across the floor. There was a thick layer of dust on everything, and a musty smell filled the air. I turned to leave, but, in a desperate tone, Tyler insisted we check the rest of the house. I did as he asked, but to no avail. His parents were missing, just like everyone else. Just to be sure, I checked the rest of the village, avoiding the area where the sheep was located. Tyler seemed confused, constantly turning back to check on his house as if he expected his parents to come out any moment.

"...Where did Mommy and Daddy go?" He finally asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Will they come back soon?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly.

"Oh."

After that, he was silent, and I finally gave up on searching the village, instead turning to lift off into the air and fly us both home. My mind was racing, and a sick feeling that I wasn't accustomed to had settled itself in my gut. Once we arrived home, I made sure the area was clear of weird animals, then led Tyler inside. After giving him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner, I made my way over to the couch, flopping down on it. My eyelids had just slid shut when something landed in my lap, and I grunted, jerking awake. Tyler looked up at me, sadness in his round brown eyes. He gathered up a fistful of my shirt and pulled it to his chest, leaning against my body.

"...Tyler?"

Something wet dripped onto my shirt, and I blinked. Craning my head to get a better view of his face, I raised my brows in confusion as big, pearly tears trickled down his face. "Tyler, what's wrong?!"

"I miss my Mommy and Daddy," he snuffled, burying his face in my shirt.

He missed them? Not quite sure what to do, I stroked his head, murmuring soft words of comfort. "Hey, it's ok, bud, I'm sure they'll come back," I soothed, not quite sure if that was true. Tyler sobbed, clinging to me for comfort, and I marveled at the fact that this little boy somehow depended on me.

As I watched the kid cry, I thought of my own parents, and I wondered how they would feel about me if they were still alive. Would they be proud to know my name was famous across the world? Proud to know that their son could change the world in whatever way he pleased? Most likely, they would be disappointed in me. My shoulders slumped a bit. They had such dreams and plans for me when I was young. I recalled how my father would always pat me on the back and tell me I'd be great someday, and how Mother would cup my face with her hands and call me 'her little Hero.' I felt a pang of nostalgia, but I shrugged it off, returning my attention to the small boy sitting on my lap. He remained where he was, apparently just wanting to cry it out. After what seemed like forever, he finally quieted, and I quickly realized he had fallen asleep. I sighed, shifting to position him so that I could pick him up, and then I gently carried the child upstairs. Once he was in bed, I returned to the couch, where I spent the next couple hours simply thinking while stroking the phantoms that had crept into my house after night had fallen. It had been five nights since I last slept, and my fatigue was an inviting meal to the undead creatures. They rasped and purred at me, feasting on my lack of sleep while enjoying my attention.

Eventually, I moved up to my bed, and they followed me there, soon settling down and curling up around me. Their eyes and mine were the only things lighting up the room, and I felt my energy gradually draining as they fed. Though they knew Tyler was there, they left him untouched, as he was both well rested and too small to be worth feeding off of. And besides, I was around, both a much better snack and sufficient protection for the boy.

Time moved forward, and eventually, the moon reached its peak, marking midnight, and I sighed, startling the phantoms out of their reverie. They groaned and hissed at me, and I stood, making them swirl up around me like angry spirits. Then I padded over to the window, gripping the windowsill with my hands. Glancing back across the open floor to ensure Tyler was still asleep, I lightly jumped out the window, allowing my body to hurtle down through the air.

I landed on the ground in a crouch, a few chunks of dirt spraying up around me. The phantoms followed me out the house, and I stood, turning to jog into the woods without waiting for them to catch up.

 _He's here,_ I confirmed to myself. Slowing my pace to a casual stroll, I let my empty hands swing by my side, while at the same time focusing intently on each and every small noise or movement made in the area around me. I heard a twig snap, and I bent my knees ever so slightly, preparing myself.

 _It'll happen in 5..._

Silence.

 _4..._

Something was creeping up on me from behind; I could sense it.

 _3..._

An owl suddenly hooted, boldly breaking the deadly quiet.

 _2..._

I tensed, ready for what was coming.

 _1._

I whirled around and lunged out, grabbing what looked like a gray shadow and judo flipping it onto the ground. Then I slid out of the way as the shadow retaliated, swinging its fists at me in alarm. Scrutinizing every hasty move, I calmly waited, well out of the shadow's reach. The shadow paused for a brief moment, and that's when I struck, lashing out with my leg to kick the shadow between the legs. I heard a grunt, and the shadow collapsed on the ground, to which I responded by pinning its wrists to the forest floor and settling myself on its grimy torso. The shadow panted, and I stared into its ruby red eyes, a smug grin creeping up my face.

"There you are," I chuckled. The shadow glared. "Cheater!" It rasped irritatedly. "How'd you know I was there?!"

"It's not cheating. It's called having more skill than you."

"You do NOT have more skills than I, Brine, and you know it!"

I snorted. "Sure," I replied as I got off of my friend, "that's why every single time Entity 303 tries to attack me he ends up pinned to the floor like a newbie."

Entity huffed. "Whatever. And there was no need to kick me there so hard!"

I snickered, climbing off him. As my friend brushed at the tattered, once-white rags he wore, the phantoms, a bit perturbed by all the fuss, glided down from where they'd retreated to. Entity looked up at them, unimpressed.

"Have you been ignoring basic human needs again, Brine?"

"Yep."

He sighed, to which I replied with a longer sigh. Then he sat down on a log, and I allowed a phantom to perch on my arm as I scratched its bony chin. "So what's up?" Entity inquired casually. I blinked. I'd almost forgotten that I had sought him out with a purpose in mind.

Sitting down on the log beside him, I watched him out of the corner of my eye to gage his reaction. "Actually, something _is_ happening for once. You haven't been wrecking any villages lately, have you? Especially ones close to my mansion?"

Entity squinted his eyes. "No, I haven't been here in a while, actually. I just arrived like, an hour ago."

I hummed to myself. "Oh."

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, the other day I found this kid..."

I went on to tell him the whole story, ending with the strange abandonment of the village. Entity remained silent for a few minutes after I finished my story, simply staring at his lap. Then he finally glanced up at me, a troubled look in his eyes. "You found a weird animal? Like a sick one?"

"Yeah. So?"

"I have, too. But not just one. A whole bunch of them."

"Ok? So what? Animals get sick all the time. What's the big deal?"

"No, Brine, this is, like, a massive group I found. Like, maybe a whole chunk radius of all these creatures acting weird. There were no Crafters for chunks and chunks, even though I found this little farm. These animals were hanging out with the mobs, and some of the mobs were acting kind of strange, like, fidgety and nervous. Others seemed to have the same sickness as the animals, all with these creepy red pupils."

To emphasize, Entity had opened his own red eyes wider and pointed at one. I laughed. "They're just Mobs, Ent! What're they possibly gonna do that could hurt us? And it'll pass after a while, anyway. You're being a bit—"

"No!" Entity snapped. "You don't get it. It was weird... there was this... feeling I had, that if I touched them something horrible would happen. And all the plants in the area seemed... twisted? I don't even know how to describe it. Everything about the area was just wrong. I don't know how, but it was so wrong it made me feel... afraid."

I glanced over in surprise. Fear was not something he and I neither felt often nor admitted to easily, so if he was telling me this, it must have disturbed him more than I first thought. My eyebrows drew together as I thought back to what had happened earlier today. That dreading feeling I'd had... that awful, gut-sinking feeling. Was that really from a dumb sheep? Or was there something more going on, and the animals just happened to be a common factor? I shook my head, denying both ideas.

"This is crazy. If it isn't you or me, could it be Null? Isn't he a more quiet type of attacker?"

"Yeah, but I haven't seen him in forever. I think he's still trying to explore the void."

"Oh."

We lapsed into silence, listening to the sounds of the phantoms bad other Mobs. I yawned, and the phantoms chittered in delight, only to hiss moments later as the first rays of golden sunlight lit up the trees. Entity blinked. "It's morning already?"

"I guess so."

"Can I come over to your place?"

"Yeah, but don't hurt the kid."

"Thanks, bro."

I stood, making my way towards my home as the phantoms darted away to their hiding places. By the time Entity and I reached the mansion, the Undead were already burning, and the Mobs that didn't burn were hiding away to prepare for the next night. While Entity made himself at home, plopping down on the couch and placing his feet on the coffee table, I went to the kitchen and fixed myself a breakfast, which consisted mostly of meat. With a full plate, I joined Entity on the couch, where we chatted for a while, mostly about old events long past and about what we'd been up to lately. Neither of us brought up the abandoned village or the sickness again.

Soon, however, Entity had to go, as Tyler was terrified at waking up to find Entity suddenly there. Though he left with the promise to come back this evening, I could tell Entity was disappointed he had to leave already, and I agreed with him. Tyler cowered behind a pillar until Entity was gone, but once he came out, he was back to his energetic, excitable self, already jabbering in about who-knows-what. Letting out a big sigh, I prepared myself for yet another long day. _I need to find this kid a babysitter or something._

* * *

 **So I kind of feel like this chapter is, in fact, a little short compared to the usual, but I needed to get things going and this is what it took. If you find a grammar problem, I admit I might have missed something in the proofreading because my beta reader didn't have enough time to read the whole thing**

 ***cough cough* Thanks for nothing, Beta *cough cough***

 **Just kidding! My Beta is amazing! On a side note, I would've posted last night, but the WiFi went out, so I have to post this somewhere else than home, which is annoying. Anyway, Thanks for reading, and remember to review— yes, I ask for those— favorite, follow, and smack Herobrine in the face for stealing my cake!**

 **Herobrine: It was just a little piece!**

 ***WHAP!***

 **Herobrine: OW!**

 **Anyway, have a nice day, you guys!**

 **-Mirror**


	8. Chapter 8: The Brink of Discovery

**Chapter 8: The Brink of Discovery**

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 **Hello again, everyone, and thank you so much for your patience. I know it's been a while, but I've started to wonder why it is that I write. Why I enjoy it. Why I even try. The answer is hard to explain, but one of the big reasons is because it's an adventure for me. When I write, it's almost like exploring another world, watching its inhabitants interact, and just coming along for the ride. I almost forgot how much I truly love the feeling, but I've remembered again. I remember now that I do it because writing these stories makes me feel like there's more beyond what we know. Other worlds out of reach of our own. Again, thank you very much for being so patient with me as I sorted things out, and I'll get back to updating regularly now. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _Kch-kch-kch_

Something skittered through the dark cavern system of Kinghill Valley, using its many legs to carry its body through the impenetrable blackness.

 _Kch-kch-kch_

The creature chattered again, snapping its scarlet jaws in annoyance. It was hungry once more, but there was nothing to feed on. No animals. No monsters. No Crafters. It had devoured them all already. It knew it must move on from this place, despite the wonderful network of damp, gloomy caves it had grown fond of. It knew that its hunger was much more important than that. Creeping towards the surface, it made little noises to itself, conversing with the only one it could. It was tired of being lonely. Tired of simply devouring. It needed a companion, hungry though it may be.

The creature shivered, causing its many large, armor-like scales to click together, creating a grating noise. Yes, a companion was just what it needed. Peering up at the sunlight blearily, it squealed, angrily glaring at the brightness. It didn't like sunlight. The warmth, the brightness. At first, the sun hurt it, but that was when it was weak. It had grown stronger since then, and, though it still detested the light, it could bear it without feeling actual pain.

With a raspy hiss, the creature poked its little reptilian head into the sunlight, rapidly curling and uncurling its tail in distaste. Horrible thing, the sun was. One day, it planned on eating the sun, but that event was too far into the future to be concerned about. Its claws clicked against the stone as the creature scuttled across the rocky gash in the earth, then darted up the sides of the rift and leapt out into the open. It needed food first, then it would focus on finding itself a companion. Stretching its long neck for a better view, it gazed around, its vibrant green eyes searching the area like spotlights. A few pigs munching on grass caught its attention, and it scuttled over, paying no attention to the trail of mangled, dead grass and plant life it left behind. It rushed up to the pigs, flashing out with its razor sharp talons. Within moments, all three pigs were nothing but sliced up meat, and the creature feasted, soon soothing its angry stomach.

It could feel another Change coming. Its scales bristled, and the spikes encircling its neck rose into the air at the thought. Yes, a Change would be good. This was going to be a big Change, it could already tell. At least that was something to look forward to. The creature shuddered, already moving on. It had no interest in pondering things or wondering what was to come. What did it matter? Fight, eat, Change, sleep, kill. That was all that had ever interested it. But now, all the sudden, here was this new longing for companionship. Was it part of the Change? No matter. All it cared about at the moment was fulfilling its longing. Whipping its head around to search for possible candidates, it settled on a small hen. Indeed, nothing large was necessary, seeing as the creature itself was only about as large as a sheep.. It hurtled up to the hen, but the poultry startled, scrambling out of the way. Odd. It had never before known patience, and this new concept interested the creature. If it waited, the hen calmed, eventually returning to its mindless task of pecking at the ground for food. Slowly, very slowly, the creature crept up to it.

It had never before used its claws for anything other than gathering its meals, but now it used those same claws to reach out to the hen. _Come, animal,_ it whispered within the confinement of its own head. The hen jerked, then looked up in surprise. Had the hen heard the creature? Suddenly, for the first time, a single question entered the creature's mind.

 _Come_. Uncertain, the hen waddled forward, then quickly backed away. This was new. The creature could feel the Change already beginning as it experienced foreign events. It closed its two eyes for a moment, then returned its attention to the hen. It was getting bored of the hen's resistance. It wasn't used to waiting for anything. It reached out to touch the hen's back, stroking the chicken with its tail. It longed to connect with this small, insignificant hen, but why?

Suddenly, the hen shuddered, and it went through what looked to be a Change. Its eyes darkened into the same beautiful red as the creature's own skin, and feathers suddenly puffed up, giving it a fluffy, yet alarming, look. The creature felt an unknown presence in its mind. _Cluck,_ the presence said. The... chicken? It appeared they had linked minds. The creature felt a sudden happiness, accompanied by a new urge to make sure of the hen's alliance. _Sit, hen,_ it commanded. The hen, whose eyes were suddenly glassy, sat, looking rather odd plopped there on its rump. The other chickens seemed terrified, but the creature couldn't imagine why. This connection, this linking of minds, filled the creature with what felt like true joy for the first time. This was what it was born to do! It could feel it in its bones. The creature's body vibrated violently, then the full effects of the Change ripped through it, shaking it right to its core. It chittered happily.

It was much bigger now, about the size of a cow, and its claws and teeth were suddenly suited for hunting bigger things. Its mind had Changed too, and now it was full of questions and understandings. Was the Changing going to advance more quickly from now on? That's what it felt like. The creature stared down at the chicken, uncaring of the hen's now disturbing appearance, or the way all animals and mobs had suddenly run away. It had a companion, and already its joyful heart was singing _more, more, more!_ It would find more companions, the creature decided, commanding the chicken to follow along behind it.

* * *

~Ellie~

* * *

New moon had come. And a new moon meant keeping my promise to Peter. I sat on Parsley, waiting impatiently for Peter to make his appearance. Sure enough, his front door swung open, and out he tramped, a stuffed inventory bag at his side. I laughed. "What's in the bag?"

Peter raised a brow mysteriously. "I just have a few errands to run," he replied smoothly. I chuckled. "A few errands? What, buying a new house, are we?" Peter simply snorted, not deigning to answer.

Instead, he hoped on his thoroughbred, Chestnut, who let out an excited whinny. The two trotted up to me, and I motioned with my hand. "Shall we?" Peter, beaming with excitement, nodded his head, and off we set, our horses cantering in unison. As we rode, I caught myself staring at Peter. His glittering emerald eyes, his wind-swept hair, the faint pink on his cheeks as he looked back at me... I flushed, casting my glance towards the road in front of me.

The village wasn't that far away, only a half day's ride, but it was already noon, as I'd had a few patients to take care of that morning. It was refreshing to be able to ride Parsley again, and I grinned over at Peter, who returned the smile, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Once we had been going for a while, I relaxed enough to make small talk with him. I hadn't seen him much lately, due to extra work and a few traumatizing run-ins with a certain someone, so we spent at least an hour catching up and gossiping together. The heavy sound of our horses' hooves created a steady rhythm as we chatted together, and I leaned back in my saddle happily. Peter seemed to be in an especially cheerful mood today, and he constantly cracked jokes, keeping us both shaking with laughter. Time flew, and before we knew it, sundown was already on its way, the sky lighting up with brilliant colors of gold and orange.

A village was looming into view, silhouetted by glorious rays of golden light. I brushed some tangled strands of hair out of my eyes to clear my vision, my cheeks pink from the sun and wind on my face.

"It appears we have arrived," Peter commented in a haughty voice. "Indeed, my good sir," I giggled. We slowed the horses to a stop, and I slid off Parsley, the gravel crunching beneath my boots. "Should we eat first, or visit Mac?" I questioned. Peter thought for a moment. "I say we eat. I'm sure Mac has quite the story to tell, and frankly, I'd rather listen on a full stomach."

"Agreed."

We both took a moment to fish—literally, as Peter pulled out a codfish— food out of our bags and eat it, licking our fingers when we were finished. Then we led the horses to the nearest stable. Peter volunteered to pay the rent fee, and we left the horses in the owner of the stable's care. Mac's house wasn't too far from here, I knew, so I grabbed Peter by the hand, intending to lead him to our friend's house.

Peter blushed furiously, and I quickly let go, my cheeks heating up as I realized what I had done. "This way," I stammered, jogging down the street with Mac's house on it. Hopping up his front steps, I rapped on the front door, and soon, a timid-looking boy with short black hair and freckles opened the door.

"Yes?"

"Hey Mac," I exclaimed brightly. "We were dropping by and just wanted to visit you!"

Mac stared incredulously at us for a moment. "Ellie? Peter?!"

"Hey, bud," Peter piped in. Mac's chubby face slowly spread into a grin, and he through the door open wide, wrapping me and Peter both in a tight hug. "I've missed you," He murmured forlornly. I chuckled. "It hasn't been that long. It's only been a month, really."

"It's felt like forever! So much has happened, I have to tell you. Like, first of all, I'm pretty sure ghosts haunt this town! Like, this paper bag on the road moved on its own! And then, there were, like, three iron ingots I saw lying around and they just disappeared a minute later! Oh, AND—"

"Alright," Peter interrupted, trying not to laugh while obviously exasperated at the same time. "Can we come in? It'd be more comfortable for you to tell us if we were sitting down."

I winced at his blatant words. "Please?" I added. Mac bobbed his head. "Of course, how rude of me," he apologized. We shrugged it off as he led us inside, seating us on a comfortable, squashy blue couch. Then, without pause, he proceeded to tell us about a long list of ordinary things that were apparently evidence for 'ancient spirits.' I was used to this, so I waited patiently for him to finish.

Finally, he paused to take a breath, and his eyes somehow widened even more than they had been a minute ago. "I saw Herobrine."

I glanced at Peter, who was fighting a grin. Pursing my lips, I quickly turned away so I wouldn't end up bursting out laughing. Seeing our reactions, Mac huffed. "I really did! He screamed 'Boo!' at me and then disappeared!"

Peter's shoulders began to shake as he tried not to laugh. I personally already knew Herobrine was very much real, but the very idea of that terrifying demon screaming 'boo' at anyone was a bit much for even me. I took a calming breath, determined not to laugh. Crossing his arms, our friend pouted, which only resulted in the two of us letting loose. "You guys!" He protested. "I... I can't help it," i wheezed, choking on my own laughter. Peter was brushing away tears as he straightened up. "If you really saw Herobrine, you know you wouldn't have lived to tell the tale, right?"

I frowned. _I'd_ seen him, but I knew Peter still didn't really believe me. He had just been being nice to soothe me. _I need to prove it to him sometime,_ I decided. But that could wait for later. Mac was sputtering in protest. "I... I really did see him! And— _AND_ guess what?! _He's been possessing the animals to act all cuckoo!_ I can even show you one!"

Peter paused. "You can? Right now?" He asked skeptically. I was equally suspicious. _Really? Possessed animals?_ Mac nodded. "Grab your swords and come with me!"

 _Our swords?!_

We obeyed, following Mac out the door as he led us to an open, grassy field with a small herd of pigs huddled together. I glanced at Peter, who was smirking. "Just wait," he mouthed. I snickered.

Mac gestured at the animals. "Go and see for yourselves, but be really careful," he warned. I scoffed. Then one of the pigs, a big boar, looked at me, snorting and twitching its head back and forth. The animal's reddish eyes bore into me, and without my wishing it, an image of a crazed, sick Enderman flashed before my eyes. I stumbled backwards as Peter swore. "Holy Phantoms, what's wrong with it?!" Mac lifted his head. "Possessed, like I said," he huffed. I shook my head slowly. "I don't think so..."

Mac glared at me. "What do you mean?! I provided— WATCH OUT, IT'S CHARGING!" The boar _was_ charging, its plump body jiggling as its stubby hooves carried it forth. I slid to the side as Peter brought his sword down on the creature with enough strength to have finished it off in one blow. Instead of dying, however, it squealed furiously, ignoring the damage done to its thick hide.

" _Reeeeeeeeet!"_

"What the— it's just a pig," Peter cried, slashing to finish it off. It took three more blows before the pig vanished in a puff of white smoke. A pile of moist, raw meat was left behind, but none of us wanted it. "Leave it for the zombies," Peter muttered. I nodded in agreement as he tucked his sword away. The wind blew the last of the smoke away, and I turned to Mac. "I think we've seen enough."

The other pigs were starting to eye us, all with that same unnatural focus, and Mac hurriedly agreed. "Back home, then." We followed him as shadows began to grow as the sunlight diminished. Many villagers were already inside, and a few last straggling Crafters were packing up their things to go home.

The moment we were in Mac's house, Peter let out a flood of questions. "What was wrong with it?! Why didn't it die at first?! I had a diamond sword! Why was it so aggressive?!" Mac held up a hand, a _I-told-you-so_ expression on his face. "Only one explanation: Herobrine." Peter shook his head, but now it looked like he was having second thoughts. I kept silent. Mac wouldn't believe my story even if I told him, no matter how gullible he was.

As the boys continued to argue about the 'evidence,' I began carefully reviewing the encounter with the Enderman. Did the Enderman and the pig have the same sickness? It would make sense. Unnaturally aggressive, that creepy twitchiness, the unblinking stare. If Herobrine and I had tried to face the Enderman, would we have been killed? Was it unnaturally tough, too, or did the boar just happen to be extra powerful? Or... a new thought crept into my mind. Had Herobrine possessed it and made it chase us in order for him to gain my trust? I narrowed my eyes. In the caverns, he had seemed genuinely afraid, and it wouldn't make sense for him to repeatedly attempt murdering me, only to have a sudden change of heart. But then again, he had seemed to know what was going on. What had really happened back there? I had a feeling I was on the edge of uncovering something big. I just needed a little help. A little push. I needed someone who knew more.

I bit my lip. Would it end up being a suicide mission? Possibly. But something very wrong was going on here, and I needed to find out what it was, even if it meant finding Herobrine.

"Ay, Ellie, what's bothering you?" Peter's voice ripped me out of my thoughts, and I flinched, my gaze flicking over to him. "Nothing!" Peter squinted. "You sure? You look really pale."

"It must just be the lighting," I lied. Pete shrugged. "Alright."

The rest of the evening was spent talking to Mac and making plans for tomorrow. I had a lot of things to do here, and I only had three days to get it all done. It would be a busy next three days for sure, but I could do it.

Mac kindly lent us his couch and the guest room to sleep in, which me and Pete fought over. I finally agreed to sleep on the couch when he made a sarcastic remark about me needing to sleep like a princess. While I could've argued about that, I was tired and I had too much to think about to feel like pushing the squabble any further.

For hours after the house had fallen quiet, I lay awake, puzzling through my jumbled thoughts. Haunting images of the Enderman kept me up long past midnight, and when I finally fell asleep, it was to nightmares of white-eyed demons and grasping, coal-black claws reaching for me as I drowned in a sea of lava.

* * *

 **So I actually wrote this while listening to Alpha and then Kyoto. Turns out, I really like C418's songs. Over the past few months, I've forgotten how music can inspire me. Well, have a nice day, read, review, do whatever makes you happy, and be sure not to mistake slime for lemon jello!**

- **Mirror**


	9. Update on 1nF3cTeD

Update On Infected

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 **Hello, everyone! I am currently rewriting my fanfiction and I decided I would update you on that, since this story has a few favorites. I'll be leaving this message up for a week before completely deleting this version of the story, to give people a chance to see what's going on. You can find the New 1nF3cTeD with my other stories, so go ahead and check it out! Update speed is undetermined as of right now; but I'm aiming for around once a week. Thank you!**

 _ **-M.B.**_


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